A clinician is a health care professional who works as a caregiver of a patient in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, clinic, or patient's home. Clinicians work directly with patients rather than in a laboratory or as a researcher.[1] A clinician may diagnose, treat, and otherwise care for patients. For example, occupational therapists, physicians, physiotherapist, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, clinical pharmacists, speech-language pathologists (SLP), and speech-language pathology assistants (SLPA) are clinicians. Midwives can be considered clinicians, although some midwives may emphasize de-medicalizing giving birth. Many clinicians take comprehensive exams to be licensed and some complete graduate degrees (master's or doctorates) in their field of expertise.
A main function of a clinician is to manage a sick person in order to cure the effects of their illness.[2]
The clinician can also consider the impact of illness upon the patient and his or her family, as well as other social factors.
