About Morticians
Morticians perform one of the most important services to the community: the respectful care of the dead. Also called funeral directors, morticians perform a variety of funerary tasks beyond embalming and cremation. They help grieving families with all the necessary details of funerals and burials, and they handle any necessary paperwork.
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The Facts
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Morticians must not only possess excellent mortuary science skills, they must also possess excellent communication skills. Morticians spend a lot of time working with the public. They help anyone making advance arrangements, and they spend much time consulting with family members of deceased loved ones. Morticians must communicate compassionately and professionally, and they must pay attention to the needs and desires of their clients.
A mortician's responsibilities can include transporting bodies to the funeral home, cleaning and embalming, arranging viewings, and transporting the family to and from the gravesite.
Morticians have at least a two-year degree, and often a four-year degree, in mortuary science. After they finish schooling, morticians enter into one- to two-year apprenticeships with an established, licensed mortician.
Risk Factors
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Morticians handle human remains, which may carry infectious diseases. Because of this, morticians must follow good sanitary methods to avoid exposure to dangerous pathogens.
Furthermore, morticians regularly handle dangerous chemicals. Formaldehyde, a component of embalming fluid, is carcinogenic. Morticians' frequent exposure to embalming fluid can cause cancer or other serious health problems. Formaldehyde fumes can cause, at the least, respiratory irritation, nausea, dizziness, headache and fainting.
A mortician's job is also a very tiring one at times. Unless he works at a large, well-staffed funeral home, he will have to pick up and transport bodies whenever called to do so. These calls may come day or night. -
Benefits
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Morticians have one of the most stable professions. No matter what the state of the economy is, bad or good, people die. Also, morticians make a comfortable income. You won't become wealthy as a mortician, but you can live comfortably.
Type
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In funeral homes with a large staff, some morticians may be only embalmers or only funeral directors, who handle the funerary tasks but not the embalming. Most morticians acquire a license to do both, because there is a greater demand for morticians who can perform all funerary tasks, including embalming and cremation.
Significance
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A mortician's work is not pleasant, by many standards, but it is invaluable work. Good morticians make mourners feel more at peace, knowing a loved one is in good hands.
By expertly caring for the body, and taking care of many funerary details, morticians take a large burden off grieving loved ones.
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