An embalmer is a person who makes the necessary arrangements to conserve human remains for some time. This may be done in preserving the deceased and create an easeful appearance for a viewing.
An embalmer is a highly trained person, and he is an expert in embalming bodies. He is specialized in a professional set of skills. He must have depth knowledge about organs and the human body. To become an embalmer, one must have a suitable qualification, and he has to be a licensed funeral home. There have to be also some research facilities.
At the funeral home, an embalmer is preparing the body for funeral services such as cremations. There are also some essential tasks that an embalmer completes in the funeral home. These tasks are like removing blood and replacing it with embalming fluid such as water, performing a complicated reconstruction to the secrecy damage, or create makeup to supply a peaceful appearance.
An embalmer has to create a straightforward contact with the dead bodies. That means he is possibly at risk of skin infections and several types of disease. Embalmers have to take a large amount of stress and also need a high level of stamina. There are extreme amounts of a task in their job, and those are the very hours long and painful.
Embalmer Job Description
Responsibility of an embalmer is too long. All work progress of an embalmer is related to dead bodies. Although it’s not a simple job, if you are good understanding, creative, passionate about science and have some formal qualifications, then you can choose this job. If you have these all, then you could become an embalmer.
There are a considerable number of works that are on the list of an embalmer. Embalmers perform the following primary duties:
- Confirm some fundamental laws of health.
- Ensure some legal and essential requirements for embalming the body.
- Apply cosmetics or fragrant to give an appearance to the body.
- Perform probe through internal organs.
- Remove blood and waste matters from organs with carefulness using a trocar.
- Give a reshape to the body if necessary. The Derma-surgery technique should do it.
- Cut arms and remove blood from the body and using the pump, replace types of blood with embalming fluid as well as water.
- Cover the bodies with a new dress and put them in the casket.
- Perform all essential duties of a funeral director. It is one of the foremost responsible for an embalmer.
- Make the arrangements to prepare a notice, selection of caskets, and determine the location for burials. Embalmers make all these decisions by discussing with the family members of the dead person.
- When dead bodies need transport to carry other states or cities, embalmers perform all necessary procedures to do this.
- They performed special procedures when a dead body was caused by infection or infectious disease.
- They should maintain the record of the name of the dead man, clothes, and other necessary elements and valuable things delivered with the body.
- Fill up the necessary paperwork.
- Wash the body using antiseptic soap and dry them using air dryers.
- Take care of the funeral staff and funeral attendants.
- To be safe from gases or water matters, pack body sigma with embalming fluid.
- Prepare the dead bodies for cremations.
- Help to place caskets in bier.
- Play the role of a comforter.
- Communicate effectively with the family members of the dead one.
- Make the arrangements for funeral home equipment.
- If the situation needs, then file police reports, testify in court.
Embalming School Degree and Subjects
If you want to be an embalmer, you need a bachelor’s or associate degree in mortuary science. There are some funeral services, academic institutions, and community colleges in your country. You can find programs related to mortuary science in those colleges and institutes. Among all of them, most of the institute provides a bachelor degree. Associate programs include 70-semester credits, and on the other hand, the bachelor program includes 120-semester credits.
The associate course is included programs such as
- restorative art
- pathology
- death psychology
- medical terminology
- embalming theory and laboratory
This entire program is a combination to prepare you professionally. If you want to take a bachelor’s degree in this subject, then you will find the same questions as like as associate degrees. Bachelor degree adds
- math
- applied statistics
- general biology
- sociology
- community health, etc.
The educational cost is varying from different universities and colleges. To ensure the value of the course, you need to look at the college website or make direct contact with the college accounts section.
How Much Times Need to Complete the Course?
There are two types of degrees in mortician education. One is the associate program, and another is a bachelor program. The Bachelor program is better than the assistant program, and it needs more time to complete the course. So, calculating the time duration and number of credits of each degree, a bachelor’s degree is much better and more costly than an associate degree.
You need to study approximately two years to complete associate degree programs. On the other hand, to complete a bachelor’s degree, you need the time of four years and require 120 credits.
How Much Time do You Need to Be an Embalmer?
After completing your graduation program, you must involve yourself in apprenticeships. This will provide hand-to-hand work that means practically. Practical expertise is essential in the funeral industry. This field is fundamental for every mortician student to prepare themselves professionally. And a licensed funeral director must take those classes.
There is a different license for the funeral director and an embalmer. But in some states, one license is valid for those two tasks. To get a license, you must be 21 years old and have an associate degree. You must also complete a minimum one-year apprenticeship course. Then you should attend in formal licensing exam ad pass here to get a valid license. Once you get a license, you may apply for the job or start your own funeral business.
Final Verdict
Although many people thought that embalmer is not a career, it is a noble career. It’s not such an easy job. You have to pass many difficult times during study and work. An embalmer can serve all classes of people. He must respect all types of people and respect all particular religions.
As a good embalmer, you will always deal with dead bodies. You have to prepare yourself as a psychologist of a dead human body. To do this is not an easy task at all. You need more patience, have the strength to take pressure and stress. You need a high-level sacrifice to be a good embalmer.
