SOLUTION AND ANSWER GUIDE
INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH CARE
6TH EDITION
CHAPTER No. 01: YOUR CAREER IN HEALTH CARE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Thinking it through
• Review questions
• Application exercises
• Problem-solving practice
THINKING IT THROUGH
The answers are suggestions based on material in the text. Students may have other responses that should
be counted as correct.
THINKING IT THROUGH: LINDA STEVENS
1. What might have happened if Linda had simply performed the blood sugar test exactly as
ordered?
Answer: The results would not have been accurate.
2. Do you think Linda should have been considered responsible for the error if they had followed
the orders exactly?
Answer: Yes. Health care professionals are accountable for their actions. They must base their actions on
the patient’s conditions, the validity of the physician’s orders, and consequences of their actions. They
cannot simply follow orders and pass on the responsibility. The assumption is that following orders
implies agreement with them.
3. Review the five Ws and the How questions in relation to this situation. Give examples of
questions that Linda may have asked.
Answer: What is the patient’s diagnosis/condition?
What is the purpose of the blood test? Or, why am I being asked to perform this blood test?
What can affect the outcome of the test?
When did the patient last eat?
When will they be eating next?
Who ordered the test to be given at 8 a.m.?
Why was it ordered at that time?
How can the meal affect the outcome of the test?
How can I check these orders?
Key Points
• Health care professionals must consider the conditions specific to each work situation.
• Directions, even those given by a physician, cannot be followed blindly.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
The answers are suggestions based on material in the text. Students may have other responses that should
be counted as correct.
,1. What is the current economic status of the health care industry?
Answer: Facts students may cite:
a. Largest service employer in the United States
b. 22 million jobs
c. In 2021, the U.S. spent $4.3 trillion on health care.
d. An average of $12,914 was spent on health care per person in 2021.
2. What are the general employment projections in health care?
Answer:
a. 2021–2031: 13% increase with 2 million new jobs
b. Approximately 1.9 million health care openings are projected.
3. What are the ten health care jobs expected to have the largest percentage increases between 2021
and 2031, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics?
Answer: *Note: The text question asks for ten occupations but if all occupations in the table are
listed separately, there are eleven occupations; the question will be corrected in a future text
reprint.
Nurse Practitioner
Physician Assistant
Home Health Aide
Personal Care Aide
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Occupational Therapy Assistant Aide
Physical Therapist Assistant
Physical Therapist Assistant Aide
Massage Therapist
Physical Therapist
Medical Assistant
4. What are the six health care jobs expected to have the highest numbers of openings between
2021 and 2031, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics?
Answer: Note: The text question asks for six health care jobs but there are five jobs listed in the
table; the question will be corrected in a future text reprint.
a. Home Health Aides
b. Personal Care Aides
c. Registered Nurses
d. Medical and Health Service Managers
e. Medical Assistants
f. Nurse Practitioners
5. In what ways can work in health care be both satisfying and demanding?
Answer:
a. Contributes to the community
b. Makes a difference in the quality of life of others
c. Work must be taken seriously
d. Work must be performed thoughtfully and conscientiously
e. Must devote full attention to everything done and said
f. Must note and address potential problems
6. What are the seven core qualities every health care professional should demonstrate?
Answer: Note: There is an error in the text question which asks for seven core qualities when it
should ask for six; the question will be corrected in a future text reprint.
a. Care about others—increase their well-being
, b. Have integrity—be honest; respect the privacy of others
c. Be dependable—be on time; performance completion
d. Work well with others—be courteous, considerate, understanding
e. Be flexible—be willing to adapt
f. Be willing to learn—keep skills up to date
7. How can students apply the core qualities while still in school?
Answer:
a. Care about others—show respect and consideration for instructors and your classmates, your
potential fellow employees
b. Have integrity—don’t cheat on or about anything, do your own work, and tell the truth
c. Be dependable—be in class on time, be timely in doing your assignments, and follow through
on your word
d. Work well with others—be understanding of others’ points of view, participate in class, and
work cooperatively as required
e. Be flexible—health care is certain to change
f. Focus on learning—be serious about your studies, make school a life priority, remember that
what you are taught may save a life
8. What is the meaning of “learning for mastery”?
Answer:
More than simply memorizing facts, learning for mastery means understanding and remembering
information so that it can be applied to new situations on the job. It includes knowing why an
action is being performed, not simply how to do it.
9. How can students use questions to become proficient in new subjects?
Answer:
a. To gather information
b. To expand view of the subject
c. To learn why information is important
d. To learn how information can be applied on the job
e. To learn to ask appropriate questions when working with patients
10. What are ways students can improve their notetaking, reading, writing, and test-taking skills?
Answer:
Use the Internet resources suggested in the chapter in addition to the following:
Notetaking
a. Concentrate on writing down the important points rather than everything the instructor says.
b. Listen for clues from instructors about what is important.
c. Write in outline form to keep notes organized.
d. Set up pages using the Cornell System format to leave space for adding notes and questions
after class when you review your notes.
Reading
a. When reading textbooks or information on websites, start by skimming through the chapter or
section.
b. Create questions about what you have read and look for the answers.
c. After reading a section of material, ask yourself the questions and try to answer without
looking at the text.
, Writing
a. Determine why you are writing.
b. Consider to whom you are writing and write for them.
Preparing for Tests
a. Plan to study every day, even for a short time.
b. Use the questions you create for reading and notetaking to practice.
11. What are some skills that adult students bring from their life experiences when they return
to school to study a health care career?
Answer:
a. Setting priorities
b. Communicating with others
c. Being dependable
d. Using technical skills
e. Having self confidence
These are examples given in the text. Students likely to come up with many more.
12. What are five techniques that adult students can use to stay organized and manage their time
efficiently?
Answer:
Examples:
a. Write daily to-do lists
b. Advise others of your schedule
c. Plan time to spend with children and other family members
d. Create personal organization techniques
e. Ask for help when you need it
f. Delegate chores
13. What does it mean to “think like a health care professional”? Give two examples.
Answer:
Thinking like a health care professional can be described as an examined process. This means not
accepting situations without observing and thinking about the meaning of what is observed.
Effective thinkers are aware of their thoughts and of why and how they are acting and/or making
decisions.
Examples are numerous and student responses will vary. Students should apply recently learned
material to two imagined life and/or emergency care situations. Have students think how they
might best or uniquely apply what they’ve learned to provide the assistance required. Students
should refer to some of the following points:
a. Learn for understanding, not just to accumulate facts
b. Apply learned material to new situations
c. Have an organized approach to problem solving
d. Base decisions on facts, not emotional reactions or biases
e. Draw on all available facts and create relationships among them
f. Locate reliable information resources to make decisions
g. Base decisions on ethical principles
h. Practice good communication skills when gathering and distributing information
i. Understand exactly what one is legally allowed to do in one’s profession, known as “scope
of practice”
INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH CARE
6TH EDITION
CHAPTER No. 01: YOUR CAREER IN HEALTH CARE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Thinking it through
• Review questions
• Application exercises
• Problem-solving practice
THINKING IT THROUGH
The answers are suggestions based on material in the text. Students may have other responses that should
be counted as correct.
THINKING IT THROUGH: LINDA STEVENS
1. What might have happened if Linda had simply performed the blood sugar test exactly as
ordered?
Answer: The results would not have been accurate.
2. Do you think Linda should have been considered responsible for the error if they had followed
the orders exactly?
Answer: Yes. Health care professionals are accountable for their actions. They must base their actions on
the patient’s conditions, the validity of the physician’s orders, and consequences of their actions. They
cannot simply follow orders and pass on the responsibility. The assumption is that following orders
implies agreement with them.
3. Review the five Ws and the How questions in relation to this situation. Give examples of
questions that Linda may have asked.
Answer: What is the patient’s diagnosis/condition?
What is the purpose of the blood test? Or, why am I being asked to perform this blood test?
What can affect the outcome of the test?
When did the patient last eat?
When will they be eating next?
Who ordered the test to be given at 8 a.m.?
Why was it ordered at that time?
How can the meal affect the outcome of the test?
How can I check these orders?
Key Points
• Health care professionals must consider the conditions specific to each work situation.
• Directions, even those given by a physician, cannot be followed blindly.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
The answers are suggestions based on material in the text. Students may have other responses that should
be counted as correct.
,1. What is the current economic status of the health care industry?
Answer: Facts students may cite:
a. Largest service employer in the United States
b. 22 million jobs
c. In 2021, the U.S. spent $4.3 trillion on health care.
d. An average of $12,914 was spent on health care per person in 2021.
2. What are the general employment projections in health care?
Answer:
a. 2021–2031: 13% increase with 2 million new jobs
b. Approximately 1.9 million health care openings are projected.
3. What are the ten health care jobs expected to have the largest percentage increases between 2021
and 2031, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics?
Answer: *Note: The text question asks for ten occupations but if all occupations in the table are
listed separately, there are eleven occupations; the question will be corrected in a future text
reprint.
Nurse Practitioner
Physician Assistant
Home Health Aide
Personal Care Aide
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Occupational Therapy Assistant Aide
Physical Therapist Assistant
Physical Therapist Assistant Aide
Massage Therapist
Physical Therapist
Medical Assistant
4. What are the six health care jobs expected to have the highest numbers of openings between
2021 and 2031, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics?
Answer: Note: The text question asks for six health care jobs but there are five jobs listed in the
table; the question will be corrected in a future text reprint.
a. Home Health Aides
b. Personal Care Aides
c. Registered Nurses
d. Medical and Health Service Managers
e. Medical Assistants
f. Nurse Practitioners
5. In what ways can work in health care be both satisfying and demanding?
Answer:
a. Contributes to the community
b. Makes a difference in the quality of life of others
c. Work must be taken seriously
d. Work must be performed thoughtfully and conscientiously
e. Must devote full attention to everything done and said
f. Must note and address potential problems
6. What are the seven core qualities every health care professional should demonstrate?
Answer: Note: There is an error in the text question which asks for seven core qualities when it
should ask for six; the question will be corrected in a future text reprint.
a. Care about others—increase their well-being
, b. Have integrity—be honest; respect the privacy of others
c. Be dependable—be on time; performance completion
d. Work well with others—be courteous, considerate, understanding
e. Be flexible—be willing to adapt
f. Be willing to learn—keep skills up to date
7. How can students apply the core qualities while still in school?
Answer:
a. Care about others—show respect and consideration for instructors and your classmates, your
potential fellow employees
b. Have integrity—don’t cheat on or about anything, do your own work, and tell the truth
c. Be dependable—be in class on time, be timely in doing your assignments, and follow through
on your word
d. Work well with others—be understanding of others’ points of view, participate in class, and
work cooperatively as required
e. Be flexible—health care is certain to change
f. Focus on learning—be serious about your studies, make school a life priority, remember that
what you are taught may save a life
8. What is the meaning of “learning for mastery”?
Answer:
More than simply memorizing facts, learning for mastery means understanding and remembering
information so that it can be applied to new situations on the job. It includes knowing why an
action is being performed, not simply how to do it.
9. How can students use questions to become proficient in new subjects?
Answer:
a. To gather information
b. To expand view of the subject
c. To learn why information is important
d. To learn how information can be applied on the job
e. To learn to ask appropriate questions when working with patients
10. What are ways students can improve their notetaking, reading, writing, and test-taking skills?
Answer:
Use the Internet resources suggested in the chapter in addition to the following:
Notetaking
a. Concentrate on writing down the important points rather than everything the instructor says.
b. Listen for clues from instructors about what is important.
c. Write in outline form to keep notes organized.
d. Set up pages using the Cornell System format to leave space for adding notes and questions
after class when you review your notes.
Reading
a. When reading textbooks or information on websites, start by skimming through the chapter or
section.
b. Create questions about what you have read and look for the answers.
c. After reading a section of material, ask yourself the questions and try to answer without
looking at the text.
, Writing
a. Determine why you are writing.
b. Consider to whom you are writing and write for them.
Preparing for Tests
a. Plan to study every day, even for a short time.
b. Use the questions you create for reading and notetaking to practice.
11. What are some skills that adult students bring from their life experiences when they return
to school to study a health care career?
Answer:
a. Setting priorities
b. Communicating with others
c. Being dependable
d. Using technical skills
e. Having self confidence
These are examples given in the text. Students likely to come up with many more.
12. What are five techniques that adult students can use to stay organized and manage their time
efficiently?
Answer:
Examples:
a. Write daily to-do lists
b. Advise others of your schedule
c. Plan time to spend with children and other family members
d. Create personal organization techniques
e. Ask for help when you need it
f. Delegate chores
13. What does it mean to “think like a health care professional”? Give two examples.
Answer:
Thinking like a health care professional can be described as an examined process. This means not
accepting situations without observing and thinking about the meaning of what is observed.
Effective thinkers are aware of their thoughts and of why and how they are acting and/or making
decisions.
Examples are numerous and student responses will vary. Students should apply recently learned
material to two imagined life and/or emergency care situations. Have students think how they
might best or uniquely apply what they’ve learned to provide the assistance required. Students
should refer to some of the following points:
a. Learn for understanding, not just to accumulate facts
b. Apply learned material to new situations
c. Have an organized approach to problem solving
d. Base decisions on facts, not emotional reactions or biases
e. Draw on all available facts and create relationships among them
f. Locate reliable information resources to make decisions
g. Base decisions on ethical principles
h. Practice good communication skills when gathering and distributing information
i. Understand exactly what one is legally allowed to do in one’s profession, known as “scope
of practice”
