INTRODUCTION TO HEALTHCARE

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This session gives participants an overview of how health care facilities are managed so that they are safe and provide quality care and the proper types of services for their specific community.

Category

  • Health

Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  • Understand what professions—beyond physicians and nurses—make up the health care delivery team.
  • Learn about the key drivers of safety and quality care including oversight by regulatory agencies and performance improvement.
  • Describe the risks of visiting a health care environment.
  • Understand the critical elements of privacy and confidentiality in health care.
  • Tour a hospital or other health care facility to see and experience the environment of care.

Supplies

  • Paper, pencils, and pens
  • Flipcharts for brainstorming
  • Organizational chart(s) of the hospital or clinic or other documents that introduce the health care team
  • Hospital or facility map
  • Safety briefing materials (exits, fire, what to do if you see something happening, warning signs, etc.)

PREPARATION

  • Plan for the tour. Arrange for guide(s), permission, health screening if needed. Note that parent or guardian permission must be obtained prior to the meeting for any health screenings of students, permission forms, etc.
  • Obtain privacy and permissions documents required for youth to protect patients and families that may be encountered along the way, if needed. This may need to occur prior to the facility tour and with parent or guardian permission.
  • Arrange for someone to speak to the group about health care or health care administration.
  • Discuss the scavenger hunt activity with the health care facility contact prior to the meeting. Focus on safety, emergency procedures, and hospital employees. Information will be facility specific and must be determined before meeting.

 

VIDEOS

REMINDER:

Any time you use an outside source, be sure you follow the content owner’s or website’s permission requirements and guidelines.

 

The following are suggested resources that Advisors may find helpful in planning this session:

Advisor Note

Text in italics should be read aloud to participants. As you engage your post in activities each week, please include comments, discussions, and feedback to the group relating to Character, Leadership, and Ethics. These are important attributes that make a difference in the success of youth in the workplace and in life.

Activity 1

INTRODUCTION

Have the speaker address these topics:

  • Typical health care services
  • Clinical and nonclinical health care roles
  • Overview of profession of health care administration and leadership
  • Educational requirements, including recommendations for high school and college preparation
  • A typical day for the role the speaker has at the health care facility; as applicable, discuss challenges of regulatory bodies, financing, government, The Joint Commission, and ensuring quality of care
  • Break up into small group and have participants brainstorm all the various roles it takes to manage a health care organization.

Activity 3

PRIVACY ISSUES

  • Show and discuss the video “Your Rights Under HIPAA” from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Be sure to address why privacy is critical, including legal, ethical, and moral concerns.

Activity 5

TOUR

  • Tour a hospital or other health care facility.

Activity 6

SCAVENGER HUNT

Conduct a group scavenger hunt during the tour of the facility. Remain in public areas at all times. Tell participants before the tour of the health care facility to observe the hospital environment, safety features, and different types of hospital employees. Encourage the students to look for hand washing stations, fire extinguishers, etc. Allow participants to take notes during the tour if needed.

 

After the tour, lead a discussion with participants about things they saw, which may include:

  • Hand washing stations
  • Emergency exits
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Name badges of employees
  • Different types of uniforms indicating different roles
  • Computer stations
  • Personal patient information
  • Cleanliness of hallways
  • Signs

Activity 7

MEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS

Say to participants: In the 20th and 21st centuries, medicine has made great strides in improving health care including (consider having the participants try to guess or brainstorm some of these before telling them):

  • Antibiotics for bacterial diseases
  • Improved life expectancy
  • Organ transplants
  • Healthier hearts (reduced smoking, better diets)
  • Dentistry without pain
  • Noninvasive diagnosis with computers (CAT scan, MRI)
  • End of smallpox
  • Childhood immunizations

 

Ask: How would your life be different if we did not have these advancements in medicine?

Activity 8

SPECIALTY CARE

Lead a discussion about different types of facilities and agencies that provide medical care. These include:

 

  • General hospitals do not specialize in any one type of medical treatment; they provide a wide range of diagnostic, medical, surgical, and emergency care services.

 

  • Specialty hospitals provide inpatient continuity of care for clients with persistent, recurring diseases or complex medical conditions that require long-term stays (often over a month) in an acute care environment.

 

  • Convalescent care facilities (e.g., nursing home, long-term care home) generally engage in geriatric care—care for elderly people needing nursing services and assistance with personal care and daily living activities.

 

  • Extended care facilities are designed to care for those who need assistance with activities of daily living or with medical needs.

 

  • For older individuals with an active lifestyle, independent living offers the opportunity to remain independent in a home of their own that’s typically located on a campus with health care professionals on staff and facilities and activities designed specifically for older individuals.

 

  • Assisted living bridges the gap between independent living and extended care or nursing homes.

 

  • Ambulatory care clinics offer medical care—including diagnosis, observation, treatment, and rehabilitation—that does not require an overnight admission to a hospital or other health care facility.

 

  • Physician and dental facilities provide care that promotes wellness and diagnosis of illness.

 

  • Rehabilitation centers provide outpatient care for clients who require physical or occupational therapy, recreational therapy, hydrotherapy, and other therapies (such as speech or hearing therapy) for loss of function in mobility or the activities of daily living.

 

  • Senior day care provides for elderly people who are able to live at home with their families but need care when the family is away.

 

  • Hospices provide end-of-life care to those patients expected to live six months or less.

Advisor Note

Some sample questions are below. They are designed to help the participants apply what they have learned to their own interests. You are welcome to use these questions or develop your own questions that relate to your post or specific focus area.

Reflection

Focusing Questions

  • What type of role most interests you?
  • Were you aware, prior to this session, the number of roles in health care?
  • What did you learn during today’s discussion?

Analysis Questions

  • How might health care privacy impact you?
  • How can you protect yourself and others?

Generalization Questions

  • What can you do now, during your time as a student, to prepare yourself for a career in health care?
  • Why is this topic important?

 

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INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH CARE ACTIVITY GUIDE