Monthly Archives: April 2023

How to Manage Your Time When It Comes to Work and School

If you’re a student with many obligations, like working a full-time job or raising children (or both), schoolwork may feel like a dauting and overwhelming task. Luckily, balancing your different responsibilities doesn’t have to be impossible. With a little effort and strategy, you can learn to manage your time more effectively, allowing you to pursue a college degree without sacrificing work or quality time with family and friends. Like many people, you likely own a smartphone, which means you may be taking a lot of time out of your day to check social media, text friends and answer personal phone calls. While interacting with the world is generally a good thing, spending hours scrolling your Facebook and Instagram feeds can take valuable time away from you without providing real fulfillment or helping you meet your goals. If staying off your phone while you’re at work or studying is a challenge, try setting your phone to airplane mode. This will keep your phone offline and prevent you from sending and receiving calls and texts. Even the most hectic and busy day can become easier if you plan it ahead. Your to-do list can be as detailed and fixed or as fluid as you need it to be. The idea here is to be organized and in control of your time, not the other way around. For example, if you plan to study on a day you have to work, you can schedule some time for this either before or after work. However, if you decide at the last minute you’d rather do schoolwork on another day, have some alternatives in place like doing a load of laundry or shopping for groceries. This way you’ll avoid leaving everything for the last minute (which can be overwhelming and affect your productivity). You may have heard successful people are those who can multitask. However, reality shows this couldn’t be further from the truth. Paradoxically, when you try to “do it all,” you end up getting nothing done. As a busy student, you may feel compelled to do a few things at the same time, thinking it’s the smart and efficient thing to do. This is understandable, but keep in mind that trying to “do it all” may result in getting nothing done. shows our brains simply aren’t wired to effectively handle more than one task at a time. So next time you study for a test, read your textbook or work on an assignment, make sure you’re not trying to do something else simultaneously like cook dinner, scroll social media or chat with a friend. Although your significant other and children won’t be able to study for you, there are several other things they can help you with if you feel you’re running out of time. It may be tempting to prove to yourself you can do it all—work, run a home and go to school—but this is often untrue and unnecessary. There’s nothing wrong with asking others for help to free up some time for schoolwork or a well-deserved break. Even the strongest and most organized people will become tired and stressed if they neglect to take time off from their everyday responsibilities. Prioritizing relaxation and self-care when you’re super busy isn’t a luxury—it’s actually necessary if you want to avoid burnout and exhaustion. Taking time off doesn’t have to involve days or weeks of vacation. It can be as little as taking 30 minutes out of your day to go for a walk or meditate. You can also set aside one day in a week that’s completely free from work and study. You can spend this day as you wish and indulge in the things you love, such as spending time with family, taking a road trip or simply binge watching your favorite show. When you enroll at the St. Louis College of Health Careers in Missouri, you automatically gain access to which include several academic resources that can help you balance your studies, work and personal life. Our dedicated academic advisors are here to offer personalized mentorship and academic tools tailored to your unique situation. To explore our diverse healthcare programs, or call 866-529-2070.

What Is the Role of a Patient Care Technician in a Healthcare Team?

Are you interested in a career in healthcare, but don’t really want to be subjected to the pressure or life-or-death responsibilities of a doctor or nurse? A career as a patient care technician may be the right fit for you. As a patient care technician, you’ll work under the supervision of a doctor or nurse, aiding patients with their daily tasks and needs. Patient care technicians are generally responsible for helping and tending to patients in various medical settings, such as hospitals, outpatient facilities and doctor’s offices. The responsibilities of a patient care technician revolve around assisting patients with their various needs. While some of these duties are task oriented, like keeping a patient’s room clean, others will require you to possess strong interpersonal skills and a genuine desire to interact and care for people in a vulnerable state. Keep in mind, not every patient and their family will be in a good mood when you interact with them. In fact, it’s likely you’ll be working around irritable and stressed individuals, which demands plenty of patience, compassion and professionalism. As a successful patient care technician, you’ll also need to anticipate your patients’ needs and interpret limited or non-verbal communication. Your patient may not know how to express what’s bothering them. It’ll be up to you to tune into their body language to correctly interpret their behavior and ask probing questions to figure out their needs and provide solutions. If you’re thinking about a career as a patient care technician, think about whether the role is a good fit for your personality and professional goals. The salary for a patient care technician can vary depending on the state you live in, where you’re employed (hospital, nursing home, government agency, outpatient clinic, etc.), your level of education and how much experience you have. On average, a patient care technician currently earn roughly 00 per year, however, the salary range can fall anywhere between $32,000 and $75,000. In St. Louis and greater Missouri, the average salary for a patient care technician is approximately 00 per year, which is only slightly below the national average. To become a patient care technician, you’ll at minimum need a high school diploma and be certified. In Missouri, PCTs can obtain a certification by passing the Certified Nurse Assistant Examination. If you want to become a patient care technician, it’s likely in your best interest to enroll in a program that can prepare you for the CNA exam and provide hands-on training, including an externship. The average length of a PCT program takes anywhere from a few months to a year to complete, depending on your individual pace. You can expect your PCT coursework to be mostly theoretical in the beginning and become more practical as you near program completion. If you’re eager to become a skilled patient care technician but you’re not sure where to start, we have your back. Our accredited PCT program offers comprehensive coursework and plenty of hands-on practice to help you ace your CNA exam and become a successful and sought-after patient care technician. To learn more about our , browse our website or give us a call at 866-529-2070.

Why Is Understanding Human Biology Important for Healthcare Careers?

Understanding human biology is fundamental to having a successful healthcare career. Whether you aspire to become a doctor, nurse, physical therapist or medical assistant, you won’t be able to earn a degree without showing competency in your chosen field. Having at least a basic knowledge of human biology may help you more easily grasp diagnostic and treatment concepts that will be relevant in your education and ultimately enable you to make more informed decisions that keep your patients safe. The good news is you don’t have to major in human biology if you want to work in the healthcare field, especially if you’re not particularly interested in spending the better part of a decade pursuing a doctorate. For instance, if your goal is to become a physical therapy assistant, you can enroll in an associate-degree PTA program with coursework focused on aspects of human biology relevant to your profession, such as human anatomy and physiology. Human biology is a branch of biology that is focused on the scientific study of the human organism. Studying human biology sheds light on how our bodies work, how they’ve evolved over time and how we interact with our physical environment. Some medical professionals, especially doctors, need to have a deep and comprehensive understanding of human biology, however those pursuing more focused roles in the medical field like phlebotomy or physical and occupational therapy usually only need to focus on certain aspects of the discipline relevant to their profession. All of these systems work together to ensure the human body works correctly and keeps various diseases and medical conditions at bay. A respiratory therapist works under the supervision of a doctor and treats patients who are having trouble breathing. Their duties include giving patients oxygen, managing ventilators and administering medication to the lungs. To become a respiratory therapist, students must learn different aspects of human biology, with an emphasis on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. A phlebotomist’s primary job is to draw blood from patients and send it off to medical labs for testing. Most phlebotomy programs include coursework which focuses on exploring the lymphatic and cardiovascular systems. A physical therapy assistant works under the supervision of a physical therapist and treats patients through exercise, massage and stretching. To become a physical therapy assistant, you’ll need to have an in-depth understanding of the skeletal and muscular systems. An occupational therapy assistant works under the supervision of an occupational therapist helping patients regain or develop the ability to perform everyday tasks, such as eating, getting dressed and bathing. Similar to a physical therapy assistant, an occupational therapy assistant must study the skeletal and muscular systems, but also the nervous system. If you’re looking to leap into the ever-growing and ever-evolving field of healthcare, but you’re not sure which career is right for you, consider studying at the St. Louis College of Health Careers. We offer a variety of accredited and flexible that allow you to work at your own pace and gain valuable hands-on experience without spending years in school. Browse the opportunities we offer and reach out to us with any questions you may have by calling 866-529-2070.

How Does Hands-On Education and Experience Benefit Healthcare Students?

It’s no secret the duties of most healthcare professionals are largely hands-on. Whether someone is a doctor, nurse, phlebotomist or physical therapist, their primary role is to provide direct patient care in a hospital, doctor’s office or other type of medical setting. Skills like evaluating patients, administering medications, drawing blood and inserting IVs aren’t learned entirely from textbooks. Instead, healthcare students learn and hone these skills by observation and hands-on medical training. If you’re looking to pursue an education in healthcare, expect a significant portion of your studies to consist of hands-on education. Implementing what you’ve learned in the classroom in a clinical setting helps ensure you’re ready to hit the ground running once you graduate and land your first healthcare job. Research shows adults learn quickest from hands-on experience. Formal learning like reading textbooks or attending seminars is still important and likely fundamental to your future job duties. However, to become proficient and able to perform tasks independently, you must put everything you’ve learned into action. For example, if you’re learning a nursing skill, such as how to insert an IV, you’ll likely first learn about IVs as a treatment tool. Once you understand how IVs work and when they’re used in a clinical setting, you’ll move on to putting that knowledge into practice. This is where you’ll be learning by observing your instructor and more experienced students. Lastly and most importantly, you’ll need to practice IV insertion on artificial practice arms and other students. This hands-on practice is where the bulk of the learning will occur. The more you practice, the more versed and confident you’ll be in performing the task. Working in healthcare requires you to think on your feet. Critical thinking and the ability to make quick and accurate decisions can only be developed through practical learning. Hands-on practice in college allows students to experiment, troubleshoot, make mistakes and reflect on them in a safe and supportive environment, in preparation for the fast-paced healthcare career of their choice. Teamwork is a crucial aspect of working in healthcare. Whether you’re a nurse, a medical assistant or a healthcare administrator, you’ll need to build rapport and communicate with your superiors and coworkers to ensure the safety and wellbeing of patients. Hands-on learning helps you work in a team, such as when you’re practicing skills on fellow students or brainstorming ideas when given a group assignment. Learning to work with individuals from all walks of life is necessary if you want to be successful in the healthcare field. Most students enjoy hands-on practice because it’s typically a lot more interesting and exciting than reading or completing written assignments. Practical work can be very engaging as it allows you to apply theoretical knowledge into practice. Once you get the hang of a particular skill, you’ll feel empowered and ready to tackle your next challenge. For some students, hands-on training can bring much-needed insight into the career they’re pursuing. Students who didn’t think they’d faint at the sight of blood or needles may realize the career they’ve chosen isn’t a good fit for them after all. Immersing yourself in clinical studies gives you a glimpse of your future duties and allows you the opportunity to get to know yourself better and change programs if necessary. For example, if you’re studying to become a nurse but are physically unable to draw blood or insert IVs, becoming a may better suit you and your unique talents. At the , we’ll ensure you gain both the theoretical and practical knowledge you need to excel in your future healthcare career. To learn more about our accredited and flexible programs, browse our or call 866-529-2070.