High School

Allied Health Assistant 1b

0.5 Credits
18 weeks
Open
Digital Badge

If you’re planning on going into the health care field, then this course is for you! Allied Health encompasses a broad range of different health care professionals who provide a range of skills in the fields of dentistry, pharmaceutical, medicine, nursing, nutrition, rehabilitation, and more. This course is the second course of the Allied Health concentrator sequence and gives you the needed skills to pursue any of these careers in Allied Health.

During this course, you will learn career-related skills and earn a badge for this accomplishment. A badge is a digital certification of your career-related learning that you can share on social media and higher education platforms, or with colleges, potential employers, peers, and colleagues. Select this link to learn more about badges.

Major Topics and Concepts

Unit 1: Medical Lab Skills

  • Describe the scope of practice for medical laboratory services
  • Identify and explain the use of instruments commonly found in clinical laboratories
  • Operate laboratory equipment
  • Explain how to culture and perform bioassays
  • Identify common microorganisms

Unit 2: Radiology and Imaging

  • Explore the scope of imaging services
  • Compare and contrast various diagnostic imaging techniques
  • Explain the proper patient positions for various radiologic procedures
  • Describe how radiation produces an image on film and through digital technology

Unit 3: Cardiology: The Heart of the Matter

  • Explain the scope of practice for allied health careers in cardiology services
  • Describe the relationship between the anatomy of the cardiovascular system and normal electrical conduction
  • Compare and contrast polarization, depolarization, and repolarization
  • Identify the correct placement of electrodes for a 12-lead ECG and bedside rhythm strip interpretation
  • Correlate the components of the cardiac complex with the conduction system of the heart

Unit 4: Respiratory Skills: Breathing Easy

  • Explain the scope of practice for respiratory services
  • Compare and contrast different oxygen delivery systems
  • Discuss respiratory assessment skills
  • Describe emergency airway management interventions

Unit 5: Surgical Skills

  • Differentiate between various medical and surgical definitions as well as conditions
  • Describe the scope of practice for surgical services
  • Compare and contrast different types of wounds
  • Understand the implications for and monitoring of intravenous fluid administration

Unit 6: Pharmacy and Medication Administration

  • Explain the scope of practice for pharmacy services
  • Compare and contrast the four major processes of pharmacokinetics
  • Calculate basic medication dosages
  • Describe the different types of IV fluid
  • Identify the advantages and disadvantages of the various routes of medication administration

Unit 7: Emergency Skills

  • Explain the scope of practice for emergency services
  • Identify various first-aid procedures
  • Describe how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED)
  • Discuss the treatments for hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic reactions

Unit 8: Dental and Veterinary Assistants

  • Discuss the scope of practice for dentistry services
  • Explain the universal numbering system for teeth
  • Demonstrate proper brushing and flossing techniques
  • Consider the animal care industry and basic knowledge of laboratory procedures used in veterinary practice
  • Describe procedures for preventing and controlling the transmission of disease in animals

 

Competencies

Medical Laboratory Basics

Students will demonstrate an understanding of medical laboratory basics by explaining roles, responsibilities, and required lab skills and describing various tests and applications of results.

Medical Imaging

Students will demonstrate an understanding of medical imaging by describing basic radiation concepts, explaining various tests and techniques, and comparing professional options in the field of medical imaging.

Cardiovascular Care

Students will demonstrate an understanding of cardiovascular health care by comparing careers in the field of cardiology and describing cardiac monitoring procedures.

Respiratory Care

Students will demonstrate an understanding of respiratory care by describing roles and equipment, analyzing respiratory patterns, and explaining airway management.

Surgical Care

Students will demonstrate an understanding of surgical care by describing the surgical environment, explaining the scope and roles of surgical technologists, and critiquing patient care techniques.

Pharmacy Services

Students will demonstrate an understanding of pharmacy services by describing the scope of pharmacy services, explaining fundamental pharmacology concepts and skills, and describing intravenous therapy terminology and skills.

Emergency Healthcare

Students will demonstrate an understanding of emergency health care by describing the scope of emergency services, explaining how to recognize and respond to an emergency, and describing common urgent illnesses and injuries and their treatments.

Dental and Veterinary Services

Students will demonstrate an understanding of dental and veterinary services by explaining the scope and skills of dental assistants and describing the roles and skills of veterinary assistants.