Neurologists

Tasks

Core Tasks Include:

• Participate in neuroscience research activities.
• Provide training to medical students or staff members.
• Participate in continuing education activities to maintain and expand competence.
• Supervise medical technicians in the performance of neurological diagnostic or therapeutic activities.
• Counsel patients or others on the background of neurological disorders including risk factors, or genetic or environmental concerns.
• Interpret the results of neuroimaging studies, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans.
• Refer patients to other health care practitioners as necessary.
• Advise other physicians on the treatment of neurological problems.
• Prescribe or administer medications, such as anti-epileptic drugs, and monitor patients for behavioral and cognitive side effects.
• Prepare, maintain, or review records that include patients' histories, neurological examination findings, treatment plans, or outcomes.
• Order or interpret results of laboratory analyses of patients' blood or cerebrospinal fluid.
• Order supportive care services, such as physical therapy, specialized nursing care, and social services.
• Interview patients to obtain information, such as complaints, symptoms, medical histories, and family histories.
• Inform patients or families of neurological diagnoses and prognoses, or benefits, risks and costs of various treatment plans.
• Diagnose neurological conditions based on interpretation of examination findings, histories, or test results.
• Develop treatment plans based on diagnoses and on evaluation of factors, such as age and general health, or procedural risks and costs.
• Determine brain death using accepted tests and procedures.
• Communicate with other health care professionals regarding patients' conditions and care.
• Coordinate neurological services with other health care team activities.
• Perform or interpret the outcomes of procedures or diagnostic tests, such as lumbar punctures, electroencephalography, electromyography, and nerve conduction velocity tests.
• Identify and treat major neurological system diseases and disorders, such as central nervous system infection, cranio spinal trauma, dementia, and stroke.
• Examine patients to obtain information about functional status of areas, such as vision, physical strength, coordination, reflexes, sensations, language skills, cognitive abilities, and mental status.

Supplemental Tasks Include:

• Prescribe or administer treatments, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation, and deep brain stimulation.
• Perform specialized treatments in areas such as sleep disorders, neuroimmunology, neuro-oncology, behavioral neurology, and neurogenetics.

The data sources for the information displayed here include: O*NET™. (Using onet291)