Starting a Career in the Healthcare Industry
The Healthcare industry has been steadily growing since the recession and has started to gain the interest of many students worldwide. It has been said that over the next decade, 28% of the new jobs produced will be in the healthcare in the United States. More studies have shown that the salary in the healthcare industry will increase by 27% throughout 2014. While these seem like great statistics and show that the healthcare industry is a growing field, but is it an interesting field? Are there benefits in this field over other industries, and what are the pros and cons?
According to a U.S study, a majority of the fastest growing jobs are in the healthcare industry, as a student who wishes to enter the healthcare profession you can expect more options, flexibility and increased wages. Another important aspect of joining the healthcare profession is the fact that you will be directly affecting the lives of many, if you have always wished to make a change in the world, or to leave your mark, then you can expect to change the lives of individuals and even large families. If you have ever watched those TV shows that show the lives of healthcare professionals like ER, Scrubs, Grey’s Anatomy, you can expect a fast-paced environment where you are constantly being challenged and rewarded for your hard work. Although not everything about TV shows, a profession in the healthcare industry can be quite exciting and rewarding.
One of the many reasons that healthcare is such a flexible field is because you find related jobs at all skills and education levels, whether you wish to spend a few years in a small school or spend close to a decade completing medical school, there are positions of all levels. Not everyone needs to study 8 – 10 years to play a role in the healthcare industry. There are several roles any person can consider, including the following.
Medical Assistants
This profession is one of the most common healthcare positions out there, they are needed in hospitals, clinics, dentist office, dermatologist office, and more. They complete a lot of traditional office work such as phones, filing insurance forms, drawing blood, and preparing lab tests. Some Medical Assistants are even required to perform more complicated tasks.
Registered Nurse
When you think of a healthcare profession, this may be the first thing you think off. Registered Nurses are typically categorized into four areas, care for a certain health condition, a nurse for a specific part of a body, a group of people such as babies or elderly people, and even sometimes specific areas like emergency rooms. They perform a wide range of tasks, anywhere from clerical work to performing a complex procedure.
Medical Receptionist
Medical Receptionists play an important role in any office, they are typically the first person patients will interact with, they also organize and schedule appointments, transfer calls, and even preparing documents.
Pharmacy Technician
You may think that dispensing medication is simply throwing them out or putting them into the correct bottles, however it is not that simple. They are crucial to the proper distribution of medication, they’re involved in tasks such as filling medications, and measure, mix, and count and label prescribed medication. The last thing you want is a patient taking the wrong pill.
Phlebotomist
This is a less common healthcare profession, but important nonetheless. They are individuals who draw blood, make sure that enough is taken, and to label and organize the containers. Some people are not comfortable around blood, however as a Phlebotomist being comfortable around blood is practically a requirement.
Dental Assistant
Dental Assistants perform important tasks that the dentist may not have time for, or other healthcare professionals may not be qualified to perform. Some examples include sterilizing equipment’s, performing teeth cleanings, process X-rays, and some simpler tasks such as filing documents and maintaining records.
Certified Nursing Assistant
Certified Nursing Assistant provide personal care, most likely for an individual. They provide patients assistance with personal hygiene, daily living needs, transportation, and also monitoring vital signs. Some examples include documenting vitals, assisting with serving meals, baths, shaves, and much more.
Nurse Practitioner
This is one of the fastest growing healthcare professions in the last decade, they are essentially advanced registered nurse that extra privileges and duties that compare to a doctor’s. You can expect to perform tasks such as physical examinations, order labs, write prescriptions, and more. Just like some other professions, they are split into different areas such as dermatology, families, geriatrics, or even the adult population only.
Patient Care Technician
Patient Care Technicians usually provide assistance to ill or injured patients that are under the supervision of medical professionals like doctors and nurses. They perform tasks anywhere from taking vital signs, retrieving patient specimens, assisting with daily needs such as food consumption, and also take notes on patient condition.
Physical Therapist
A Physical Therapist is a professional who plan and facilitate the patient’s physical recovery, they test coordination, muscle strength, range of motion, and even simply muscle function. They don’t necessarily work in any specific area, but can be found in hospitals, clinics, recovery centers and other places.
