Tag: online medication technician classes

Beware of Online CNA Classes

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Due to today’s increasingly busy lifestyles, a lot of potential career-changers look for online coursework as a convenient way of transitioning into a new occupation or line of work. Moreover, healthcare career training seems to be popular with many busy folks who want to enroll in online courses. As an example, people want to become certified nursing assistants (CNAs), so they specifically seek out online CNA classes.

Nevertheless, here is a word of caution: a person cannot become a CNA online in most states. Let’s repeat that phrase using slightly different words: people are not legally permitted to become CNAs online in most US states. In fact, out of 50 states, Florida is the only one that allows students to skip the classroom and clinical externship associated with nurse aide training by challenging the state board to become CNAs.

Most online CNA programs advertised on the internet are flagrant scams designed to separate uninformed, unsuspecting and aspiring career-changers from hard-earned dollars. For instance, most states require at least 75 hours of face-to-face schooling in order to become a CNA. This 75 hours is normally built into a training program made up of 59 hours of class time and 16 hours of clinical externship at a nursing facility.

One glaringly obvious reason exists for face-to-face classroom and clinical training requirements in order to become a CNA: a person cannot learn how to properly take care of patients with online classes alone. In other words, students actually need to work with real patients at healthcare centers, touch them, talk, and interact with them while practicing basic nursing skills. These things can’t be accomplished online.

Direct hands-on care is the only tried-and-true method of learning to become a CNA. A person cannot learn how to provide direct patient care by simply reading online lessons and studying the lecture notes that come with a distance course. Learning to give basic nursing care involves a deliberate blend of seeing, doing and showing, and these methods can only be taught to nurse aide students in person in a face to face setting.

Most people’s lifestyles are really busy due to working, raising kids and managing other obligations that suck up more than enough time to fill our days with never-ending tasks. Thus, it is no surprise that many individuals search for online CNA classes out of a dire need for convenience. However, people cannot become CNAs totally online in the vast majority of states in the US. If it seems entirely too good to be true, maybe it is.

The truth hurts at times. Nonetheless, the getting the truth out there onto the center of the stage is necessary if reading or hearing realistic information saves people from being scammed out of their precious money. The cold, hard truth is that online CNA programs do not exist in most states, although a limited number of courses can be taken via online or distance formats in some areas. Forewarned is forearmed, so good luck.

People in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas who are in need of nurse aide (CNA) training classes can call Legacy Healthcare Careers at (682)626-5266. Fast-track day, night and weekend CNA classes are offered here. Graduate in two weeks with a new career in the medical field.

 

March 2019 CNA Program Scholarships

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The Health Occupations Scholarship Award, a partial tuition scholarship fund that is exclusively offered by Legacy Healthcare Careers, has enough monetary reserves to grant three financial awards to prospective nurse aide training program students in the Dallas /Fort Worth Metroplex region of Texas during the month of March 2019. However, prospective students must act with a sense of urgency if they are interested.

The three partial tuition scholarships are intended for potential pupils who wish to attend a certified nursing assistant (CNA) training program. The Health Occupations Scholarship Award is a way to greatly help out certain student populations by way of partially paying for some of the tuition, fees, supplies and expenses associated with attending a nurse aide training program.

First and foremost, the following requirements determine eligibility for receipt of a partial tuition scholarship award from Legacy Healthcare Careers. All applicants must be 18 years of age or older, or a minimum age of 16 with parental or legal guardian consent. In addition, all applicants should possess the desire to enter the allied healthcare field or medical field, or plan to climb the career ladder in a healthcare occupation.

Every single winner of the Health Occupations Scholarship Award is granted a partial tuition scholarship to assist them with paying for educational costs associated with tuition, textbooks, enrollment fees and other mandatory schooling supplies needed for the nurse aide training program. Furthermore, three of these scholarship awards are issued every month.

The Health Occupations Scholarship Award is being purposefully made available to prospective pupils who plan to enroll in either a nurse aide training program or another classification of medical career training course of study at Legacy Healthcare Careers School in Richland Hills, Texas. Applicants of the partial tuition scholarships are permitted to attend classes at Legacy Healthcare Careers full time or part time.

To apply for the Health Occupations Scholarship Award, visit Legacy Healthcare Careers’ website (www.LegacyHealthcareCareers.com) and continually scroll downward to locate the right icon to click in order to submit an application. Potential students may also just copy and paste or click on the weblink that appears below to instantaneously access the scholarship application form:

http://www.123formbuilder.com/form-4595340/scholarship-application

A career in healthcare is a glorious way to get a foot into the invigorating doors of the medical field. Legacy Healthcare Careers is a local school in a suburb in the Dallas /Fort Worth Metropolitan area of Texas that offers a number of affordable, quick, high quality CNA programs. Call us at (682)626-5266 or place a call to our 24-hour hotline at (682)313-6404 if more information is needed.

Healthcare Career Spotlight: the Certified Medication Aide

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Certified medication aides, also known in some states in the U.S. as assistive medication administration personnel or medication technicians, have a clearly defined role in the allied healthcare field that is definitely worth exploring further. The overriding goal of this piece is to discuss the medication aide, including the day to day duties and responsibilities associated with this role.

Medication aides are helpful members of the allied healthcare team who assist licensed nurses in the realm of medication therapy. The primary function of the medication aide is safe administration of non-injectable over-the-counter and prescription drugs to clients, patients and residents. Medication aides work at the bedside to distribute medications to a large number of clients in a timely manner.

Medication aides are utilized extensively in certain settings, but never found in other types of workplaces. Post-acute healthcare settings such as long term care facilities, personal care group homes, correctional facilities, schools and assisted living facilities utilize medication aides regularly depending on the state. Meanwhile, medication aides are not utilized in the acute care hospital setting.

Most, but not all, states in the U.S. allow medication aides to work. In the states that do allow the use of medication aides, they are permitted to administer oral, topical, transdermal, eye and ear medicines to clients under the supervision of a licensed nurse. In addition, medication aides communicate with clients, report changes in patients’ conditions, obtain vital signs, and document their findings.

Because of pre-existing regulations in most states, the vast majority of medication aides have prior patient care work experience as certified nursing assistants (CNAs) or unlicensed assistive direct care workers. To be admitted into most medication aide training programs, students must be 18 years of age or older with a high school diploma or G.E.D. and submit evidence of work experience as a CNA or direct care worker.

The educational requirements to become a medication aide differ in each state. For instance, the requirements to become a medication aide in Texas entail 140 hours of training. The 140-hour medication aide training programs in Texas are comprised of 100 hours of classroom (didactic) teaching, 30 hours of hands-on return skill demonstrations and 10 hours of clinical externship practicum.

The medication aide training classes consist of a targeted review of a number of relevant topics such as medical terminology, human body systems, effects of medication on each body system, infection control, and drug medication classifications. The goal of the medication aide program curriculum is to bestow pertinent knowledge upon students so they will be able to administer medications safely and prudently.

Individuals who graduate from medication aide programs must also pass a written medication aide examination in the state where they plan to secure employment. The medication aide state test usually contains 100 multiple choice questions on medication therapies. Students who pass the written medication aide state test receive a practice permit or state certification as a certified medication aide.

The state medication aide certification and/or practice permit allows the certified individual to work in a wide variety of healthcare settings for fairly competitive pay. In addition, the working conditions of medication aides are generally not as demanding on the body as those experienced by nursing assistants and direct care workers. For many people, a career as a medication aide is a step up.

How does a career in the healthcare industry sound? A career as a medication aide is an awesome entry point into the healthcare field. Working in the allied healthcare field as a medication aide can serve as a wondrously great foundation to any person’s occupational future. 

Legacy Healthcare Careers will soon be offering a medication aide program in the spring of 2019 at our Fort Worth area campus. Place that phone call to (682)626-5266 or the 24-hour hotline at (682)313-6404 to get more information. This is an opportunity that should not be passed up.

Completely Online CNA Programs: A Word to the Wise

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Let’s address this complicated issue head-on: modern day life is ridiculously busy! Most busy adults are juggling employment, family time, a social life and other aspects of their lives to strike some sort of balance. These time-consuming facets of life do not leave all that much time to attend school full-time, especially in a classroom setting.

After all, who has time to sit in a classroom for several hours per day? After working hard for eight to twelve hours all day long, does any sane person really want to spend the rest of the evening or all weekend long in a classroom setting? Most people would rather be at home where they can wind down, chill out, relax, eat a home-cooked meal or spend a few precious hours with the ones they love the most.

However, many people are unsatisfied with their current jobs. Some people may even hate their jobs with a passion! Therefore, the thought of returning to school to prepare for a career change has often crossed their minds. While these folks may mentally dance with the idea of going back to school, the reality of it often involves giving up multiple evenings or weekends to spend time in a classroom. Again, who really has time for that?

Ah, but there appears to be a solution that can be integrated into peoples’ busy lifestyles: online classes! In addition, many people want to enter the nursing profession due to the potential of steady pay and abundant job opportunities, so they search the internet for online healthcare career programs that can be completed in the comfort of one’s home.

Here is a word to the wise. Regardless of any fancy advertisements you may have seen, you cannot become a nurse completely online. You cannot become a CNA completely online. In fact, no state board of nursing in existence will allow students to become nurses totally online for one very simple reason: no one can truly learn to provide hands-on nursing care to patients without actually touching any patients.

The large number of online nursing degree programs that are advertised on the internet have been designed for people who are already licensed nurses (LPN or RN). These online nursing programs allow licensed nurses to pursue higher education and earn additional nursing degrees from a college or university while keeping their full time jobs.

For instance, an RN with an associates degree can complete an online bachelor of science degree in nursing (BSN). However, she first had to complete her associates of science degree in nursing (ASN) face to face in a class setting before qualifying for admission to the online BSN program. All state boards of nursing require nursing students to amass a certain number of classroom and clinical practicum hours in order to graduate.

Think about it. Would you want a nurse with no patient care experience whatsoever to take care of you or your loved ones? A nurse whose only schooling was online classes never received hands-on training in patient care. All nurses must complete a clinical practicum externship that entails spending many hours in hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare settings where they learn to provide hands-on care to real patients.

It is a similar situation with nursing assistant training. For instance, the state of Texas requires prospective nurse aides to complete a 100-hour CNA program that is comprised of 60 class and return demonstration lab hours as well as 40 clinical externship hours. This clinical externship occurs in a healthcare facility where students deliver hands-on care to patients. This is how nurse aide students learn to become CNAs.

In a nutshell, completely online CNA programs do not exist, at least in the state of Texas where 100 hours of face to face instruction are required. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. The goal of this piece is to help readers and prevent them from being scammed by unscrupulous online businesses that claim to offer online CNA school. If this posting helps just one student out there, it will have been worth it to us.

Do you have the motivation to change your career? The 7-day CNA program at Legacy Healthcare Careers offers state-approved career training to become a nursing assistant in approximately one week. Call (682)626-5266 to enroll at Legacy Healthcare Careers CNA School now! Classes start soon.

Positive Thoughts for Students Who Think They Cannot Do It (Part Two)

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Negativity is powerful enough to hold us back if we pay too much attention to it. In fact, negativity has the damaging power to crush some peoples’ hopes, dreams, goals and plans for brighter futures. With all of the negative vibes and poor normative cues that flood our day to day lives, it can be a monumental fight for even the strongest-willed individual to genuinely believe in one’s abilities to accomplish goals.

Nonetheless, much of the negativity comes from within. That pesky internal voice in our neural network of deepest thoughts shouts out to us louder than any other person ever could. However, positivity can cancel out the negativity. Having a strong belief in one’s own ability to get things done makes the difference. A positive outlook is of the essence because you must believe in yourself in order for others to believe in you.

In essence, take some time out of each day to nurture your soul with at least one positive affirmation. You should never be made to feel that you do not deserve success. Actually, you deserve to live the kind of life you want to live just as long as you are willing to devote the effort to achieve this. People should not feel that they are somehow faulty or undeserving of having the markers of a worthy existence. You are worth it!

The overriding message is to keep on trucking until you make enough progress to obtain the sort of changes you want to see. We can have virtually anything we want, and common sense prescribes that you will eventually get what you want. Conversely, it must be emphasized that you must change your inner thoughts in order to change your life. In other words, think positively. Talk positively. Live your life with positivity.

POSITIVE THOUGHT NUMBER FOUR: “I am a worthy person who has something good to offer.”

You, as a uniquely special human being, are worthy of giving and receiving. You have something decidedly special to offer to humankind, but only you know what it may be. You are worthy of receiving goodness, success, and all the fruits that come with the territory of these attributes. Realize that you are worthy and wholly deserving of the existence that has been bestowed upon you.

POSITIVE THOUGHT NUMBER FIVE: “I am thankful for all that I currently have in my life.”

Have an attitude of gratitude. You may think you presently have it bad, but others out there assuredly have it a hundred times worse. You might be complaining about your old shoes while someone out there has no feet. You might be complaining about your underachieving kids while parents in a developing country are grieving the loss of a young child that they could not afford to feed.

If all your basic needs of food and shelter are being met, be thankful and grateful for what you’ve got. Have some gratitude. Focus on what you currently have, as well as the things you would like to work toward. It is easier to focus on what you have rather than what you do not have.

 

Life is Less About What Happens to Us and More About How We Respond to What Happens

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It is assured that some readers have heard the popular adage, “life is ten percent of what happens to us and ninety percent of how we react to it all.” Well, the aforementioned saying carries a great deal of weight in all situations we face. The reality is that our outlook is everything. The ways we look at and respond to life’s various situations are what forms our views, beliefs and so much more.

Struggles and uphill battles will challenge us throughout our lives. Nonetheless, we have the power in our hands to perceive these struggles in a certain way. We can view these struggles as learning opportunities that strengthen our character. We can perceive life’s various struggles as challenges that can be overcome. Unfortunately, we can also choose to perceive any struggle as something we have absolutely no control over.

Believe it or not, but the power to start living a better life is totally in your hands. You do not need to be a passive spectator who simply allows things to happen to you without any control in the matter. You do not need to be powerless or helpless. In reality, you do possess more power than you will ever realize.

Every single person can decide to live the life he or she truly desires, regardless of how difficult times might become. It is all a matter of perception and mentality. If you perceive that you have the power to change your circumstances, you are more likely to take the steps to make this happen. On the other hand, those who perceive that they are helpless will continue to be steamrolled by life’s routine problems.

In other words, having an optimistic mentality is very helpful in life. Learn to seize the opportunity in every situation, good or bad. Only you can hinder yourself from attaining success in life. No one else is stopping you from living the type of life you really want. Rough situations such as domestic violence, lack of money and unsupportive people are small molehills that we can simply crush before we reach our awesome destinations.

Winston Churchill once said, “The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Differently worded, an optimistic person and a negative person experience the exact same event, but interpret it differently. The pessimist sees nothing but obstacles and problems while the optimist sees mostly opportunities and positive occasions.

For instance, going back to school is an event that tends to be approached differently by optimists and pessimists. The optimist has a perpetually positive outlook and says to herself, “I can do this.” School is not too hard for the true optimist. If they struggle in school or do not fully understand the material, they pull their resources together. They ask teachers and classmates for help. They seek to understand the material on their own time. Optimists find opportunities to conquer challenges.

Pessimists might not be enjoying their current state of affairs in life, but they also give up too quickly due to negativity. School is too hard for them because they perceive it in that manner. School is too expensive. School is pointless. You see the common thread…the true pessimist sees the difficulties in every situation and makes excuses to avoid taking the steps to improve his situation in life.

The moral of this piece is to change your outlook. Why should you change your outlook? It is because your life can improve dramatically if you alter the way you look at the things that occur in life. Once you start approaching various challenges in life with a more optimistic viewpoint, things will change for the better. To change your life, you must first change your thoughts. It really is your choice.

Do you have the optimism to change your life? Start by changing your career! The 7-day CNA program at Legacy Healthcare Careers is designed to deliver state-approved training. The 7-day CNA program trains students to become a nursing assistant in approximately one week. Call (682)626-5266 to enroll at Legacy Healthcare Careers CNA School today. Classes start soon.

Additionally, Legacy Healthcare Careers will be offering certified medication aide training classes to prospective students in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area who are presently working as CNAs or direct care staff workers. Call (682)626-5266 to obtain more details on the upcoming medication aide training program.

Positive Thoughts for Students Who Think They Cannot Do It (Part One)

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Many prospective students who want to return to school are held back by an intricate framework of negative thoughts about themselves and their capabilities. In too many instances, these negative thoughts probably evolved due to prior experiences in a school setting that may have been embarrassing, low-quality, or reminiscent of failure.

Sometimes these persistently negative thoughts have arisen due to pessimistic statements made by extended family members, spouses, partners, friends or some other unsupportive individual in their lives. It is even more unfortunate when the seeds of doubt are planted by the very same people in our lives that we seemingly expect to care about us the most.

With all of the negativity in our lives, sometimes it is an uphill battle to truly believe in our abilities to accomplish our goals. The mental voice in our framework of inner thoughts tends to speak to us more loudly than any other person. Nonetheless, believing in oneself and insisting that our goals can be accomplished is always a positive thing.

We should never feel that we do not deserve success for ourselves and those we love. We should never feel that we do not deserve to enjoy the type of life that we envision ourselves living. Keep plugging away at what you want, and common sense dictates that eventually you will obtain what you want. However, you must change your thoughts in order to change your life.

POSITIVE THOUGHT NUMBER ONE: “I am proud of all the things I have accomplished up to this point.”

All accomplishments are noteworthy and should be celebrated, regardless of how small or petty they may seem at the present time. These achievements may include parenthood, child rearing, escaping from an abusive situation, accrual of five years of service on the job, and so forth. Each life experience contributes to the complex person we are today. In other words, do not be afraid to take pride in every accomplishment regardless of how insignificant it may seem.

POSITIVE THOUGHT NUMBER TWO: “I truly believe in the individual that I want to become.”

In order to create a better future, a person must first formulate a clear mental picture of a brighter future so he or she can constantly envision it. This mental picture may or may not entail a person with a strong degree of self-confidence who has stability and an awesome career that pays enough to support one’s immediate family. Whatever the case, a person needs to fully believe in the individual that he or she aspires to become.

POSITIVE THOUGHT NUMBER THREE: “I am deserving of the dreams that I have for myself and my family.”

The people who accomplish their goals and dreams generally have some character traits in common such as tenacity, grit, perseverance, confidence and assertiveness. They tend to believe that they actually deserve to succeed, so they go after their goals with an eagerness that often goes unrivaled. Once you start to believe that you are seriously deserving of the dreams that you have for you and your family, the likelihood of turning those dreams into reality increases by leaps and bounds.

Do you want to make positive changes in your life and career prospects? The 7-day CNA program at Legacy Healthcare Careers provides state-approved training that trains you to become a nursing assistant in approximately one week. Call (682)626-5266 to enroll now. Classes start soon.

Also, Legacy Healthcare Careers intends to offer certified medication aide training classes to prospective students in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area who are already employed as CNAs or direct care staff workers. Call (682)626-5266 for more details.

Why Would Anyone Become a Medication Aide /Medication Technician?

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A medication aide, also referred to as a medication technician or assistive medication administration personnel (AMAP) in a handful of select U.S. states, is an allied healthcare worker whose primary responsibility is administering non-injectable prescription and over-the-counter medications to clients.

Medication aides work under the oversight of registered nurses, licensed practical /vocational nurses (LPNs /LVNs) and other members of managerial staff to set up, administer and observe the effects of clients’ medications. Medication aides also report changes in clients’ health conditions and might also be responsible for requesting reorders of prescription drugs per company policies and procedures.

Medication aides are typically found working in post-acute healthcare workplaces such as skilled nursing home facilities, personal care group homes, intermediate care facilities, assisted living facilities, retirement centers, correctional facilities, and schools. Generally, medication aides secure employment in non-hospital healthcare settings due to local regulations.

So, why would any person become a medication aide in this day and age? Well, the advantages of working as a medication aide are definitely worth mentioning. The role of a medication aide is associated with a number of tangible and intangible perks. Without further ado, keep reading to find out about the wonderful advantages of becoming a medication aide.

REASON ONE: The role of a medication aide can be incredibly fulfilling.

One of the main reasons people opt to become a medication aide is that a career in the healthcare industry can be enormously rewarding. The reality that a medication aide will work alongside other persons as a very important part of the healthcare team can produce powerful feelings of joy. In addition, the fulfillment is something intangible that the medication aide can take extreme pride in.

Medication aides also communicate with clients, thereby being in a position to put a smile on their faces or ease their anxieties. The knowledge that one person can make a positive impact by contributing to various clients’ well-being while possibly even prolonging their lives with timely medications makes the role of the medication aide meaningful and fulfilling.

REASON TWO: Flexible work schedules are available for medication aides.

Since healthcare facilities are in operation 24 hours per day, medication aides are often able to select the work schedules they would like to work. A medication aide with school-aged children can work the 7:00 am to 3:00 pm day shift while the kids are in school. Likewise, a medication aide who is single and into the party scene can work the 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. shift, enabling him or her to get off work in time to go to the club or visit late night parties.

Furthermore, the weekend double shift is an option at some facilities. Weekend work appeals to medication aides who attend school full-time during the week or simply have a preference for enjoying all their weekdays off in a row. Finally, many people are nocturnal late owls who prefer to sleep during the day while working all night. Many medication aides work the overnight shift due to 24-hour work scheduling.

REASON THREE: The working conditions of most medication aides are comfortable.

The workplace environments of most healthcare workers, including medication aides, are comfortable due to predetermined standards of cleanliness. Most individuals who work in the healthcare sector report to places of employment that are cleaned on a routine basis per protocol by housekeeping, as well as climate-controlled to promote comfort for workers, clients, family members, vendors and visitors.

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In the very near future, Legacy Healthcare Careers plans to offer a brand new certified medication aide training program to prospective students in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area who are employed as CNAs or direct care staff workers. Call (682)626-5266 for more details.

The staff of Legacy Healthcare Careers is in the initial phases of abiding by the varied regulatory steps connected with the addition of the certified medication aide classes to the school’s current nurse aide course offerings. More details will be added as the development of the certified medication aide training program reaches completion time.

 

Reasons to Consider a Healthcare Career (Part Six)

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NOTE: This piece is the sixth and final post in a comprehensive six-part essay that attempts to bring light to some of the predominant reasons a person should seriously think about carving out a career pathway in the booming healthcare industry. Click here to read the first essay. Click here to read the second part, and click here for part three. Meanwhile, click here for parts four and five.

The healthcare industry is absolutely booming in many geographical regions across the country. Therefore, it would make common sense that this large field would be saturated with countless job opportunities, as well as the potential for measurable growth in the long term. However, an individual needs to have enough tenacity and persistent follow-through abilities in order to enter the ranks of the healthcare industry.

Nonetheless, plenty of perks and positive aspects await the people who possess the perseverance to pursue healthcare as a career choice. A number of truly compelling reasons exist for traveling down a career pathway in the healthcare field. Parts one, two, three, four and five of this six-part series listed plenty of reasons to obtain a healthcare occupation. Keep reading to find out added info regarding even more of these reasons.

REASON 16: Entry-level healthcare jobs offer superb chances for career advancement.

An individual who enters the healthcare industry as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) can make the choice to attain additional education and occupational training to advance his or her career. A CNA can become either a medication aide (also known as a medication technician), patient care technician, phlebotomy technician, or certified medical assistant.

CNAs can also keep climbing the educational ladder to become a licensed practical /vocational nurse (LPN /LVN), registered nurse (RN), dialysis technician, medical technologist, medical lab technician, certified pharmacy technician, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instructor, or any number of other interesting roles in the vast healthcare sector.

People in healthcare also qualify for vertical and lateral promotions. For instance, an astute nurse aide can be promoted to a staffing coordinator or central supply manager at many skilled nursing facilities. After all, a sizable number of healthcare facilities prefer to promote good employees rather than recruit talented people externally. When it comes to career advancement in the healthcare field, the sky is truly the limit!

REASON 17: Healthcare is an industry that is expanding at a fast pace.

The healthcare industry is rapidly expanding due to a number of factors, including the large wave of older persons that belong to the Baby Boomer generation who are aging and requiring health services in ever-increasing numbers. Also, the number of people in the general population is increasing in many geographical areas due to birth rates, relocation patterns, and so forth.

All of the aforementioned reasons result in grand openings and /or expansion projects of hospitals and other types of healthcare centers to meet the increased demand from potential patients and clients. If the population in a particular city is increasing at a fast pace, healthcare facilities need to be built to accommodate all the potential people who will eventually seek care.

REASON 18: A healthcare career can personally fulfill employees.

Many healthcare workers and providers find that a career in the healthcare field is personally fulfilling. When working in some healthcare roles, there can often be very intimate involvement in some of life’s most transforming moments. Some of these moments include childbirth, impending death, and everything in between. For some healthcare workers, the fulfillment they receive is invigorating in the best way possible.

Call the Legacy Healthcare Careers CNA School at (682)626-5266 to ask about enrolling in either the 7-day CNA program, the 2-week CNA class, or the 3-week CNA course in the Dallas /Fort Worth area of Texas. It is your choice. In addition, feel free to visit the school’s informative website at www.LegacyHealthcareCareers.com to find out more information about the school’s affordable nurse aide training programs. Jump-start your legacy!

Medication Aide /Medication Technician Practice Test Questions (Part Two)

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NOTE: This post is the second one in a series that contains medication aide practice test questions similar to the ones a test taker will most likely see on the state Medication Aide Competency Examination, or MACE for short. Answers to the practice test questions are supplied, as well as rationales. Click here to read Part One.

QUESTION: When administering oral medications to a nursing home resident who needs assistance, where should the medication aide ensure the pills, caplets or capsules are placed?

A. Onto the center of the tongue

B. Anywhere in the mouth is okay

C. Under the tongue

D. Between the inner cheek and the teeth

ANSWER: A

RATIONALE: Oral medications such as pills, capsules and caplets are to be placed on the middle of the tongue to promote greater ease with swallowing. Sublingual medications are the only type of oral drug that should be placed under the tongue. Pills and capsules that are placed between the inner cheek and teeth of a client might dissolve without ever being swallowed by the resident.

QUESTION: The medication aide is permitted to crush a client’s oral medications (e.g., pills and caplets) and mix with puddling, applesauce or jelly only if the following condition is met:

A. If the client requests the medications be crushed

B. If the medication administration record (MAR) indicates that the medications may be crushed

C. If the facility administrator requests the medications be crushed

D. If the client’s family member requests the medications be crushed

ANSWER: B

RATIONALE: A medication aide should not crush or break pills, caplets or tablets or pills, or open and empty powder out of capsules, unless a pre-existing order on the client’s medication administration record indicates that the medications may be crushed. Some types of tablets, pills and capsules will not work as directed or may actually be harmful to the client if they have been crushed or opened prior to administration.

Many medications are in extended release form. This means they the medication is released in the client’s body patient over an extended period of time, typically several hours. If the client takes an extended release medication after it is crushed, this means the medicine will be released all at one time in the body. This might lead to the medication harming the client, similar to taking too much of a dose at once.

In addition, an extended release medication might be rendered less effective than the prescriber originally intended since it is no longer medicating the client during an extended period of time. For example, the anti-diabetic medication Metformin XR (Glucophage XR) is an extended release form of Metformin that is not to be crushed because it is intended to provide control over a client’s blood glucose levels over many hours.

Also, many drugs are coated to permit them to pass through the upper gastrointestinal tract undissolved with minimal side effects so they will be released in the small intestine instead of the stomach. Crushing a coated pill or caplet may result in unwanted side effects since the protective coating has now been crushed.

QUESTION: How would a medication aide determine that a medication should be given transdermally?

A. Ask a coworker

B. Find out from the client

C. Follow the directions on the MAR

D. Ask the manager

ANSWER: C

RATIONALE: The medication aide should always follow the directions printed on the medication administration record (MAR). The MAR contains the essential components of each medication order. These components include the medication’s name, current dose, frequency to administer the drug, route of administration, and original date the drug had been ordered by the healthcare provider.

Since the MAR contains the proper route of administration, a prudent medication aide would follow the directions on the client’s MAR to determine whether the drug should be administered in transdermal form.