The Allied Health Professions

The allied health professions have gained legitimacy through the pursuit of research evidence and the standardisation of practice. Yet there remains very little analysis or understanding of these professions. Adopting theory from the sociology of health professions, this unique text explores the sociological, economic, political and philosophical pressures that have shaped the professions. Drawing on case studies and examples from occupations including optometrists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists to emerging vocations, including pedorthists and allied health assistants, this book offers an innovative comparison of allied health professions in Australia and Britain. By telling the story of their past, this original book prepares the allied health professions for a new and different future.

This stimulating series is unique in providing advice on management, leadership and development for those in the Allied Health Professions (AHP). This concise companion guides readers through current key management challenges, the structure of the NHS, legal matters, professional regulation, research and cultural issues. With contributions from internationally renowned professionals, Managing and Leading in the Allied Health Professions provides vital information for AHP managers and aspiring managers, senior clinicians, extended scope practitioners, clinical specialists, AHP educators, researchers, staff and students. It will also be invaluable for clinical scientists, pharmacists and optometrists.

The definitive resource for advanced practice within nursing and the allied health professions—revised, expanded, and updated throughout. Advanced practice is an established and continuously evolving part of healthcare workforces around the world as a level of practice beyond initial registration. Advanced practitioners are equipped to improve health, prevent disease, and provide treatment and care for patients in a diverse range of settings. This comprehensively revised fourth edition emphasises the importance of practice in advanced healthcare, presenting a critical examination of advanced practice roles in nursing and allied health professions through a series of learning features designed to facilitate the development of vital knowledge and skills. Advanced Practice in Healthcare presents: International developments in advanced practice as a global response to the need to modernise services, reduce costs and increase access to healthcare services Country-specific examples of advanced practitioners’ roles in delivering patient care in diverse settings The impact of advanced practice in nursing and the allied health professions Controversial issues including prescribing, regulation and credentialing, and the interface with medical practice Ethical and legal dimensions of advanced practice The preparation of advanced practitioners Advanced Practice in Healthcare is an essential resource for all students, practitioners, managers and researchers of advanced practice in healthcare.

"This comprehensive book provides direction for foreign-educated allied healthcare professionalsÖ Given the complicated process of credentialing, certification, and visas, as well as the complex American healthcare system, this book proves to be a worthy resource." Score: 100, 5 stars --Doody's "Written by well-known experts, the Guide provides the reader with the most up-to-date information on topics ranging from the U.S. health care delivery system to employment opportunities, from entry into the United States to entry into professional practice." --Barbara Sanders, PhD, PT, SCS Associate Dean, College of Health Professions, Texas State University This book is the definitive guide to health care practice in the United States, written for foreign-educated allied health professionals interested in immigrating to the United States, those already here, and those looking to complete their education in the U.S.A. The contributors provide a wealth of insight on how to address the challenges of being a foreign-educated health professional in the United States. Health professionals can learn what is expected of them, how to prepare for the journey to this country, and how to adapt to their new communities. Written at a readable level for non-native English speakers, the Guide presents a comprehensive description of the major allied health professions and a clear overview of U.S. standards of education and practice. Additionally, readers will gain an understanding of their basic rights and roles in the U.S. healthcare system. Key Topics Discussed: Allied health practice in the United States The process of entry into the United States The U.S. health care system Guidelines for entering the U.S. workforce Most importantly, this book will help foreign-educated health professionals learn how to avoid being misunderstood by others, form enduring relationships with American colleagues, and join them in working to improve the quality of health care in this country and worldwide.

Self-Care for Allied Health Professionals brings together a collection of self-care strategies into one easy-to-read volume, supporting Allied Health Professionals to do the best for their patients by caring for themselves. The book offers information and practical strategies to look after your physical and emotional wellbeing at home and in the workplace, exploring topics such as sleep and food, resilience and meditation, stress, conflict and adversity. Written to be a flexible tool that can be read cover to cover or dipped in and out of as needed, it offers rapid response self-care strategies alongside more lasting changes, supporting practitioners to make small steps to build healthy habits for the future. Key features of this book include: –– A combination of quick response strategies, like a five-minute breathing exercise you can use before a difficult meeting, and opportunities for deeper work, examining your purpose and aligning your role with your values. –– Combines ancient practices of meditation and mindfulness with the latest research on nutrition, exercise, sleep and wellbeing. –– Consideration of the challenges professionals face in the context of pandemics and a changing health and social care landscape, helping you to thrive in a challenging world. Self-care has never been more important. This is a book that every Allied Health Professional and trainee should have on their desk, to improve productivity, enhance job satisfaction and build resilience for whatever the future brings.

The Institute of Medicine study Crossing the Quality Chasm (2001) recommended that an interdisciplinary summit be held to further reform of health professions education in order to enhance quality and patient safety. Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality is the follow up to that summit, held in June 2002, where 150 participants across disciplines and occupations developed ideas about how to integrate a core set of competencies into health professions education. These core competencies include patient-centered care, interdisciplinary teams, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and informatics. This book recommends a mix of approaches to health education improvement, including those related to oversight processes, the training environment, research, public reporting, and leadership. Educators, administrators, and health professionals can use this book to help achieve an approach to education that better prepares clinicians to meet both the needs of patients and the requirements of a changing health care system.

This book compiles state-of-the art and science of health professions education into an international resource showcasing expertise in many and varied topics. It aligns profession-specific contributions with inter-professional offerings, and prompts readers to think deeply about their educational practices. The book explores the contemporary context of health professions education, its philosophical and theoretical underpinnings, whole of curriculum considerations, and its support of learning in clinical settings. In specific topics, it offers approaches to assessment, evidence-based educational methods, governance, quality improvement, scholarship and leadership in health professions education, and some forecasting of trends and practices. This book is an invaluable resource for students, educators, academics and anyone interested in health professions education.

With estimates of their numbers ranging from one million to almost four million people, allied health care personnel make up a large part of the health care work force. Yet, they are among the least studied elements of our health care system. This book describes the forces that drive the demand for and the supply of allied health practitionersâ€"forces that include demographic change, health care financing policies, and career choices available to women. Exploring such areas as credentialing systems and the employment market, the study offers a broad range of recommendations for action in both the public and private sectors, so that enough trained people will be in the right place at the right time.

This practical text addresses a gap in the literature by mapping the links between philosophy, research method and practice in an accessible, readable way. It offers guidance to allied health professionals – increasingly involved in research as the emphasis grows on evidence-based practice – on how to engage in meaningful, good quality qualitative research. To help researchers take on this challenge, the book: highlights some of the choices involved in carrying out qualitative research offers a wide range of practical examples to show how different ways of doing qualitative research can be managed critically examines a variety of qualitative research methodologies of particular interest to allied health professionals clarifies the links between epistemology, methodology and method. The book is structured in three parts. Part I sensitises readers to the complex issues which challenge qualitative researchers at the planning stage of their projects. In Part II, the challenge of using different methodologies is critically explored by fifteen authors, who describe their individual research experiences. Part III examines the choices researchers make when they evaluate and present research.