Does the idea of caring for patients and supporting good health or the excitement of popular television shows in hospital settings inspires you? As an aspiring healthcare practitioner and potential nursing student, it would be beneficial to understand what healthcare practitioners actually do and what their daily lives look like before choosing a career path.

To help prospective students better understand the roles, responsibilities and typical day in the life of a healthcare worker, we address the key questions: “What is a healthcare practitioner?” and “What does a healthcare practitioner do?”

What Does a Healthcare Practitioner Do?

There are multiple ways to answer, “What is a practitioner in healthcare?” A healthcare practitioner can be defined as a licensed and certified healthcare professional who provides medical services and care to patients. Examples of healthcare practitioners include:  

  • Registered nurses (RNs) 
  • Nurse practitioners (NPs) 
  • Physicians and physician assistants (PAs) 
  • Physiologists 
  • Physical therapists (PTs) 
  • Chiropractors 
  • Dentists  
  • Other types of healthcare specialists and providers 

Medical Competence 

Healthcare practitioners are trained and qualified to assess and examine patients, provide diagnoses and treatment, promote healthy habits, collaborate with other healthcare professionals (such as physicians) and apply evidence-based practices to their clinical decisions for better patient outcomes.  

Soft Skills

While the educational background and specific treatment knowledge can vary significantly between different healthcare practitioner positions and disciplines, the soft skills needed to fill these roles and experience job satisfaction in healthcare include several common competencies: 

  • Communication 
  • Active listening 
  • Compassion and empathy 
  • Teamwork and collaboration 
  • Adaptability 
  • Analytical thinking, critical thinking, deductive reasoning and problem-solving 
  • Time management and organization 
  • Stress management 
  • Cultural competence 

These types of skills allow healthcare practitioners to provide patient-centered care while collaborating effectively with colleagues and a patient’s entire healthcare team for better outcomes.  

Technology and Innovation

In addition to soft skills, healthcare practitioners should be interested in technology, excited by innovation and ready to embrace the cutting-edge of the industry with continuous education as healthcare tools, technology and techniques advance.  

The Typical Daily Routine of a Healthcare Practitioner

A day in the life of a healthcare worker varies considerably between specific professions; depending on the healthcare field and position one chooses to pursue, they might spend their days cleaning and examining teeth, working an intake desk in an emergency department or assisting with the delivery and care of infants in an obstetrics wing of the local hospital. 

If you choose a profession where you will be working directly with patients, you might expect your workdays to follow this general schedule. 

Starting the Day

The beginning of a healthcare practitioner’s day in the life involves preparing to take on the rest of the shift.  

Reviewing Patient Charts and Schedules

Healthcare practitioners begin by reviewing their schedules, patient charts and upcoming appointments. 

Team Huddles or Shift Handovers

Additionally, the beginning of a new shift may begin with a team huddle during which the outgoing providers brief the incoming providers on essential information to ensure continuity of care for their patients.  

Patient Interactions and Care

A healthcare practitioner’s day is primarily spent caring for and interacting with patients.  

Conducting Assessments, Treatments and Follow-Ups

These interactions may consist of patient examinations and assessments along with administering treatments, monitoring the patient and following up after care has been provided.  

Balancing Bedside Manner With Technical Skills

While healthcare professionals have important jobs and must often squeeze as many appointments as possible into a given day, it is still essential for them to balance their technical skills and responsibilities with a pleasant bedside manner. This includes having the patience to practice active listening without interrupting, paying attention to detail and doing their best to connect and empathize with every patient.  

Administrative Responsibilities

Healthcare practitioners also fulfill a variety of administrative responsibilities to ensure operational compliance and thorough recordkeeping.  

Documentation and Electronic Medical Records (EMRs)

Healthcare practitioners must keep detailed records of each patient’s appointment (including intake, assessment, consultation, examination, tests, recommendations and treatments). The data should be electronically input with proper medical coding to ensure accurate electronic medical records that can be used for healthcare collaboration, patient education and billing purposes.  

Compliance With Policies, Protocols and Reporting

In addition, healthcare practitioners must practice compliantly with respect to:  

  • Rules and regulations 
  • Hospital or clinic policies 
  • Patient safety standards 
  • Data and privacy protection  
  • Ethical standards 

End-of-Day Wrap-Up

At the end of the day, healthcare practitioners wrap up their duties, brief the incoming shift and prepare for the next day.  

Reviewing Patient Progress

Before leaving for the day, healthcare practitioners review patient progress to update the incoming staff as well as provide care instructions to ensure continuity and quality care for patients. They may also make phone calls to outpatients to check in, answer questions or deliver test results.  

Preparing for the Next Day

Before leaving, healthcare practitioners prepare for the next day. This might entail:  

  • Making notes and to-do lists 
  • Sending and responding to emails 
  • Pulling files and charts  
  • Reviewing the next day’s schedule 
  • Reviewing patient information 

Challenges in a Healthcare Practitioner’s Day

While working as a healthcare practitioner can be highly rewarding, these professions are not without their struggles. Below are some of the most common healthcare practitioner challenges: 

Managing Stress and Long Hours

Healthcare practitioners often work long hours, and they need to manage the stress of having a demanding schedule where they often face the challenge of having more tasks to complete than they have time to complete them.  

Emotional and Physical Demands

These jobs, depending on the setting in which you work, can accompany significant emotional and physical demands. Healthcare practitioners tend to be compassionate, empathic people who work with patients who are struggling, so it can be difficult for some not to take on their patients’ pain.  

Many healthcare settings are fast-paced environments, too — making it a physically demanding job where practitioners may be on their feet most of the day, busy helping patients get out of bed or to the restroom.  

Balancing Patient Care With Paperwork

Many healthcare practitioners pursue the profession because they want to work with patients. However, it is important to understand that the job also comes with an administrative workload.  

Navigating Administrative Load

Healthcare practitioners have plenty of paperwork that ranges from completing forms for compliance and billing purposes to carefully documenting details in patients’ records. These demands make it necessary for healthcare practitioners to come up with effective strategies for balancing time spent on administrative requirements alongside time spent with patients.  

Handling Emergencies or Unexpected Situations

Healthcare practitioners need to expect the unexpected; most days include new situations and emergencies that require quick thinking and immediate action.  

Staying Calm Under Pressure

The ability to remain level-headed in high-pressure situations is essential for all healthcare practitioners, even those who work outside of the operating room and emergency room.  

Work-Life Balance and Lifestyle

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance in healthcare is crucial for practitioners and their patients. It prevents burnout, improves care and fosters overall better well-being.  

Balancing Demands of the Role With Personal Life

Healthcare practitioners must set firm boundaries between their work lives and personal lives to balance their demanding careers with the equally important aspects of their personal lives: family, friends and fun.  

Family, Exercise and Rest

Practice self-care every day by eating healthy, making time for regular physical activity and getting adequate sleep. Also, have a strategy in place to utilize your time off in a way that ensures you are able to rest, pursue hobbies, get exercise and spend quality time with family and friends.  

Different Practice Models

Healthcare practitioners working in various settings and workplaces can find a practice model that works well for their lifestyle and preferences.  

Full-Time, Part-Time and Shift Work Differences

Finding a work schedule that works for you is imperative. Many healthcare facilities, hospitals and clinics offer different models that include opportunities for full-time and part-time work in addition to differing on-call schedules and requirements. Nurses also often have the option of working a variety of different shifts — such as eight-hour days, 10-hour days (four days per week) or three twelve-hour days.  

Career Opportunities and Growth

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) healthcare job outlook, occupations in the industry are projected to grow much faster than the average across all occupations. Between 2024 and 2034, the BLS estimates 1.9 million healthcare occupation openings per year.  

Settings Where Healthcare Practitioners Work

Healthcare practitioners have opportunities to work in a wide range of workplace settings with diverse patients.  

Hospitals, Clinics, Long-Term Care and Public Health

Practitioners can work in traditional settings such as hospitals, clinics and private practice physician offices. They may also work in:  

  • Outpatient care centers 
  • Nursing homes 
  • Residential care facilities 
  • Rehabilitation centers 
  • Public health agencies 
  • Research and academic facilities 
  • Telehealth centers  
  • Schools 

Future Career Growth

In addition to the projected healthcare industry growth, healthcare practitioners can work to advance their own careers by pursuing advanced degrees, specializations, certificates and administrative or research-oriented positions.  

Specializations, Administration and Research

Career paths that offer potential for career growth and advancement include:  

  • Advanced practice roles (e.g., nurse practitioners and physician assistants) 
  • Nursing and hospital administration 
  • Nursing education 
  • Healthcare consulting 
  • Health technology  
  • Innovative specializations 

A Day in the Life of a Healthcare Practitioner Could Be Every Day in Your Work Life

The life of a healthcare practitioner can be exciting, rewarding and challenging while presenting a variety of opportunities for advancing your career and making a positive difference in patients’ lives. At Keiser University, we offer aspiring healthcare practitioners a selection of degree paths and specializations designed to help broaden healthcare experience, knowledge and skillsets while preparing for continuing education, licensing and certification within a variety of healthcare professions. Explore the following advanced degree programs:  

To learn more about Keiser University and the programs that could help you pursue a career as a healthcare practitioner, contact a graduate admissions counselor today!