Whether you have a background in healthcare or not, these certifications can take your career to the next level. Here is some information you need to know.
Certified Nursing Assistant
A CNA is an integral part of any healthcare settings. This certification would involve taking a course to be trained, typically 4-8 weeks long, and a certification exam taken at the end. CNA’s typical duties can be transporting patients, vital triage, assisting with medical procedures, and checking on patients. CNA’s also have a variety of types of places to work including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and long-term residential facilities.
Qualified Medication Aide
A QMA is qualified to administer both prescription and non-prescription medications to patients and monitor them afterwards. The training program is around 4-6 weeks with a written exam at the end to become licensed. QMA’s can work at hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and adult care centers.
Phlebotomy Technician
A phlebotomist is a medical aide who takes blood from patients for testing or donation purposes. The Indiana School of Phlebotomy offers a 7-week course to gain your certification. The course includes a skills lab and a clinical externship for students to get hands on experiential learning while in school. There is a state exam at the end of the course to gain your certification after which you will be qualified to work at hospitals, private practice offices, nursing homes, and surgery centers.
Pharmacy Technician
A pharmacy tech works closely with a pharmacist to locate, dispense, pack and label prescribed medication for patients. Pharmacy techs can work at hospitals or larger chains such as CVS or Kroger after they have completed a 4-month program to become certified. There is also a state exam to pass after completion of the course.
Dental Assistant
A dental assistant works with the dentist to prepare and organize tools for doctor use, cleaning of patient’s teeth, and other administrative tasks. A dental assistant can work in any dentist’s office, orthodontics office, and/or an oral surgery center. A typical certification course is 13 weeks including labs and an externship with a licensed dentist to gain hands on experiential learning. There is both a written exam and lab portion of the exam to pass to become certified.
All these programs are available within Indianapolis and are cost effective. If you need assistance applying, paying, or choosing a program please contact the Employment Team at Mary Rigg (317.639.6106) or fill out this form for assistance. Completing just one certification can elevate your career and give you stability, a pay raise, and opportunities to advance in the medical fields.
Additional Resources:
https://www.indydentalassisting.com/about-dental-assistants/
https://iuhealth.org/professional-education/health-sciences-education/pharmacy-technician
https://www.indianaphlebotomy.com/plb.php
https://www.premiernursingacademy.org/blog/cna-vs-cma-vs-qma