Occupational Therapists - Serving Autism!

In general diagnosed around age of 3, Autism is a disorder related to the development and growth of children. It affects collaborative brain functions and influences areas that control social behaviour and communication skills of those affected. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, an international institute established by President John F. Kennedy, with the support of congress, in 1962 to study the "complex process of human development from conception to old age", uses the term autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) to refer to a group of disorders that include autistic behaviour (also known as classic autism), asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorders not otherwise specified (also called atypical autism).
How Occupational Therapists can help Individuals suffering from Autism?

Focused on improving participation in the performance of activities of daily living such as feeding and dressing, Occupational therapy services support instrumental activities, education, work, leisure, and social collaboration. Based on individual situation, person’s need, and desired objectives, occupational therapy services are custom designed for individuals with an ASD. These services include evaluation, intervention, and measurement of outcomes. To conduct these activities, it is important to understand the daily living experiences of the individual with autism and those with whom he or she collaborates – including family, caregivers, instructors, friends, and other supporters.
Occupational therapy focuses on:
•    Personal Development
•    Quality of life
•    Needs of the Family
The evaluation process involves designs to gain understanding of the person’s unique skills, strengths, and challenges while engaging in routine activities or occupations. The intervention process, based on the outcomes of the evaluation, determines strategies to help individual maximise his/her abilities to participate in daily activities at home, school (if relevant), work, and in the community environment. Successful or productive results are noted through increased performance, improved adaption, and enhanced participation in essential or meaningful routine activities, patient satisfaction, improved health and wellness, and successful transitions to new environment and roles.  The factors can also assist individual, family members, and OT team to appreciate accomplishments, transfer focus and review priorities of the intervention plan if required.
Occupational Therapy Practitioners help people suffering from Autism to adjust activities and conditions to match their requirements and capabilities. Such help may include adapting the environment for those with autism to minimise external distractions, finding them custom designed computer software that are able to facilitate communication, and recognising skills people need to address challenges or accomplish certain routine tasks.
These occupational therapy services are provided in the settings where patients engage in daily living activities such as child care centre, preschool, school, home, workplace, and adult care centres, etc. The role of the occupational therapist may be as a provider of direct services as a consultant or a coach to educators, corporate workers, teams, and family members.

Looking for a career opportunity in occupational therapy? Visit Your World Healthcare UK at http://www.yourworldhealthcare.co.uk/ or contact our specialist job consultants at 020 7220 0811.

Remedies to address national shortage of Sonographers in the UK!

Sonographers equip hospitals with a diagnostic service through an imaging test, known as ultrasound, which sends vibrations to a part of the body and receives them back again to report the potential unusual behaviour, if exists. Due to the common use of ultrasound to provide images of babies in the womb, most people are aware of its use in pregnancy but ultrasound imaging is not just limited to that. It is widely used in other hospital departments to detect invisible flaws. However, in recent times, UK is facing a nationwide shortage of qualified Sonographers, leading to stern difficulties for several NHS trusts and health care associations in meeting growing demand, designated targets and deliverance of the national obstetric and vascular screening initiatives.
 

Recent national protocols relating to, for instance, stroke management and the post ‘NHS Next Stage Review’ insist on making ultrasound imaging services available for primary care, adding to the shortage problem. Increasing workload pressures on Sonographers mean complex service demands, leading to a barrier for them to tend their personal wellbeing in the workplace effectively and commence continuous professional development activities. These several factors are contributing to an increase in the number of Sonographers taking early retirement, reducing their work hours, or leaving the service completely. Further, the reported incidence of musculo-skeletal injury is growing. Existing Sonographers in development process are hardly synchronised with wastage and there is little scope for more training and professional development programs even though the demand is clear.

To address this problem, here are some suggestions from the society and college of radiographers to develop and acquire consistent sonographer workforce in the UK: 

·         Introducing First Degree Direct Entry

There is much evidence that there is a strong demand for first degree direct entry programme, leading to BSc (Hons) Medical Ultrasound. The establishment of a primary direct entry degree has the prospect to attract a wide range of applicants interested in pursuing a career in sonographic studies. Such programmes would be delivered by existing universities and students may be eligible for scholarships as are diagnostic and therapeutic radiography undergraduates, limiting direct costs to NHS and health boards.

·         Postgraduate Direct Entry

The program is likely to be popular with a wide range of primary degree qualified applicants. The postgraduate direct entry, leading to PGC/PGD/MSc already exist in truth but is under-recognised and under-utilised. Depending on the availability of clinical placements, it has the potential to allow for a number of graduates. These programmes can be endorsed subsequent to established CASE procedures, giving assurance to employers and the active ultrasound workforce.

·         Distance Learning Programme

For delivering both direct entry first degrees and higher degrees to develop the sonography workforce, distance learning programme is a viable option. Some universities have used this feature to deliver education and development options at higher degree level in the past. It will be made essential for the students to have a clinical placement during the course of the program and could be delivered together with more conventional training programmes.

Your World is the leading healthcare recruitment agency in UK. Our busy Radiography desk has grown dramatically over the last few years. We now have an exceptional choice of roles in both the NHS and private sector. 

Register with us to apply for radiography jobs or to find qualified radiographers. http://www.yourworldhealthcare.co.uk/medical-vacancies/radiography/

New research reveals kid’s headaches aren’t generally due to visual problems

Eye problems are widely assumed to be the major reason for frequent headaches in kids.  When a child reports recurring headache during their school work, parents assume that their child is suffering from a visual problem or needs a vision correction, consequently, they request that their doctors refer their child for an eye exam. However, a new retrospective review of the medical records of 158 children below the age of 18 who were observed for frequent headaches at the ophthalmology clinic reveals that visual problems are seldom the cause of recurring headaches in children, even if the regular headache seems to occur when the child is performing visual activities or doing academic work.

The research was presented in November, 2012 by a team of Pediatric Ophthalmologists at Albany Medical Center in New York, at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting in Chicago.

Researchers concluded, even though 14% of the children accounted that their headaches occurred while doing visual tasks such as school home work and around 9% reported visual symptoms associated with their headaches, visual problem did not appear to be the prime reason or a factor in any of these cases. In addition, follow up reports from parents validated the research findings.  Parents indicated that headaches improved in 76.4% of all children, including those who did not get vision correction as well as those who did. Moreover, new prescriptions did not make it more probable that the children's headaches would reduce. 

During this research, it was observed that about 30% of the children had visual conditions that went beyond the need for correction in vision. These conditions included strabismus, amblyopia and other more serious situations. Though the research was a retrospective study, Pediatric Ophthalmologists were not able to make connections between these factors and the cause of headache.

Dr. Zachary Roth, who led the research team, commented, “We hope our study will help reassure parents that, in most cases, their children’s headaches are not related to vision or eye problems, and that most headaches will clear up in time.”

However, optometry research does not sound logical for optometrists who often treat children  with visual issues.  Professor of pediatrics/binocular vision at Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago, Dominick Maino, suggests that the study did not consider the binocular vision system beyond strabismus and ignored assessment of accommodation. This is unfortunate, according to Dr. Miano, because most of the research published in this area suggests that accommodation plays an important role in headaches experienced by patients.

Your World UK offers specialist Optometry recruitment consultants. To find optometry jobs in your region, visit us at http://www.yourworldhealthcare.co.uk/medical-vacancies/optometry/

Nurse Your Career to New Heights

There are many benefits to choosing a nursing career. The nurse helps people on a daily basis, and almost always finds the work to be very fulfilling on a personal level. They are often able to choose their own specialty, working in the field of nursing or medicine that suits them best. Nursing provides many opportunities for advancement into management, as well as providing job security, even in troublesome times. This profession can also provide an opportunity to travel if the nurse should so choose.

Nurses are able to help people with their health on a daily basis. Many people see this as a noble profession, allowing the nurse to provide care to others. This work can often be quite fulfilling. Many nurses find great satisfaction in assisting patients as they regain their health. The profession of nursing often  allows the nurse to choose her own specialty. Nurses can choose to work in any of the many healthcare fields available, and can also choose to become certified in a specialty of choice. Choosing a nursing career can also provide opportunities for leadership, and many times they find their way into management, sometimes as officers in large healthcare companies.

Even when job prospects are bleak for the rest of the community, the need for nurses never decreases, giving the career strong job security. Most registered nurses are earning well over the average income of for a full-time worker. They also get the opportunity to travel if that is their desire. Hospitals and Healthcare facilities will hire experienced nurses to work in almost every area of the country, and sometimes in foreign countries. The choice of where to work is up to the nurse, and many traveling nurses choose to move around from assignment to assignment, allowing the agency to pay their way to explore many places they may never have seen.

The pay for traveling nurses is typically excellent. The traveling nurse can expect to receive a good deal more in wages than he or she would be able to earn locally. Accommodation and meals are also usually covered as expenses that are paid by the company that employs the nurse. Travel to the location is usually paid for by the company as well, including traveling home after the assignment is complete. Travel to and from the work site from the apartment or hotel where the company places the nurse is usually the responsibility of the nurse personally. For those interested in a traveling nursing career, the opportunities for travel can be excellent and are limited only by the nurse. The opportunity to travel and see the world by being paid is the dream of many, and is achievable for those that are willing to work in the nursing profession.

There are a great many options available to the nurse, and many benefits to choosing a nursing career. Nurses find great fulfillment in their work, and are paid well. They have unlimited opportunities for advancement, and are able to travel to work in new places. Nurses even have the ability to choose their own specialty.

For the latest and most sought after A & E Nursing jobs and vacancies, please visit www.yourworldhealthcare.co.uk

The Importance of Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is the treatment and prevention of injury and disease by natural means. Its aim is to alleviate pain, maximise healing, and restore the body to its natural balanced state through provision of exercises, soft tissue release and educational advice. Since its emergence as an independent profession over 100 years ago physiotherapy has adapted and improved its treatment techniques and increased the range and number of patients it can help. People nowadays are looking for an holistic approach to the treatment of illness and disease which chartered physiotherapists agree is all important.

If pain is a problem then physiotherapy could be the solution. Study and experiences prove that physiotherapy has been a very effective tool against pain and injuries ranging from minor to major. Hence the prescription of physiotherapy can be said to be an effective tool for curing pain or injury. In the case where a joint complication is to be dealt with by the help of physiotherapy, a physiotherapist may twist or fold the limbs into positions which are not normal positions i.e. contortion may be a part of the physiotherapeutic treatment. To get rid of muscle tenancy or immobility the physiotherapist may suggest stretches, exercises, heat therapy, massage or traction. To escape from headache or muscle ache sometimes painkillers are effective but they have limitations and side effects. Physiotherapy deals with pains and injuries of these types and it's importance in pain relief can't be underestimated.

A lot of physiotherapy treatments are simple exercises. They focus on slowly working a joint or bone, using all the muscles around it. These exercises will slowly build up the muscles and eventually, the joint will increase in mobility and strength. Physiotherapy is depend upon more and more every single day, simply because it helps people get back to their original, and hopefully healthy, state. It addresses a range of issues with the body and allows people to have an independent approach to returning to their normal health and mobility. Generally, physiotherapy will be used to combat the effects that trauma or injuries have caused to the body.

The most important thing about physiotherapy is that it takes into account how the body works and develops. Doctors always assess a patient individually as every case is unique and requires different work. Generally they will take into account the current body posture of the person, as this helps them to determine the body balance this person has.

Whilst physiotherapy was originally designed to help people with disorders relating to the movement of limbs, it has since become popular in sport. Sports injuries are extremely common and this type of treatment can be extremely effective in resurrecting a limb back to its original state for all types of athletes. The importance of physiotherapy can be observed by the fact that respiratory disease treatments are also carried out by physiotherapeutic techniques e.g. coughing, vibration, cupped hand technique, clapping etc. involving the use of physiotherapeutic techniques frequently proving the importance of physiotherapy.

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For the latest physiotherapy jobs and physiotherapist recruitment, please get in touch with us at www.yourworldhealthcare.co.uk/medical-vacancies/physiotherapy/

Short Term Employment for Long Term Benefits

Finding a job that suits an individual’s interest is a daunting task. The task becomes even more complicated when it is about searching for a job in the medical sector. It has been seen that there are very few recruitment agencies specialising in the health care sector. As a result, the search for doctors jobs becomes more challenging. Like many other industries, people working in the healthcare sector also need to take time off from work for many different reasons. Maternity leave, holiday time or even emergency situations to name but a few.

Since medical situations will not wait for the return of the doctors that are away on leave, their positions need to be filled right away so that patients do not suffer.

Locum positions can last from a week through to months, depending on the reason the employer needs the help. Common reasons for seeking a locum include keeping a busy clinic afloat while a doctor or physician is on maternity or other medical leave.  Sometimes it’s as simple as covering for a doctor who is on a vacation, when failing to do so would cause the employer to become backed up. Since most medical settings are really businesses as well, they are therefore profit-driven. Some locums even travel the country moving from one locum job to another.

For hospitals and healthcare facilities that are looking for short term replacement physicians; recruitment companies are the best places to source physicians who are willing to fill in these temporary vacancies. Locum  Physician jobs are mutually beneficial for both physicians and medical facilities. The facilities not only get to keep their patient levels up  in the absence of their regular physician, but also get a chance of working with many gifted doctors, whenever they have a vacancy. If they like the way things work out with a particular physician working on as a Locum, the administration is in a position to offer the doctor full time employment at the end of the contract, otherwise they simply release them.

There are many advantages of working as a GP Locum, such as:

·         Temporary employment and a chance to broaden skills whilst waiting or looking for a permanent job.

·         Allows those relatively new to the profession to utilise newly learnt skills instantly within various medical environments.

·         GP Locum work can be combined to allow time for other employment or activities outside of medicine.

·         The independence to work flexibly where and when you choose.

·         Variety of working in different locations and exploring career options whilst travelling.

GP Locums are paid by the day and don’t have to rely on a restricted annual salary. It is up to the individual if they want to increase their availability for work or not. Locum doctor jobs offer flexibility to the professionals. Another huge benefit of working as a locum is you can gain experience by working in different organisations in different areas. It is worth mentioning that the experience one can gain working as a locum is generally not possible for normal permanent doctors. Thus, if you are getting an opportunity to work as a locum then you should not think twice and avail its benefit to the fullest.

For the latest GP locum vacancies, please visit http://www.yourworldhealthcare.co.uk