Is a Healthcare Career For You?

When it comes to healthcare, people often mention doctors. One does not have to become a doctor to work in healthcare. Aside from doctors, there are many other types of healthcare careers available. Some people may think that a healthcare career is not for them because they do not want to work with sick people.

However, many careers in healthcare do not involve direct patient care. People often choose healthcare careers because they want to help others. Healthcare careers can be rewarding emotionally and financially. Some healthcare careers require a lot of schooling, while others may not require as much. Here is an overview of the different jobs in healthcare. There may be one or several that you may fit.

Types of Healthcare Jobs

Healthcare careers are divided into three main categories: direct patient care, indirect patient care, and non-patient care.

Direct Care

Direct patient care careers include doctors, nurses, and therapists. These are the people who provide one-on-one care to patients. Doctors require the most schooling of all the direct patient care careers. They must complete four years of medical school and three to eight years of residency training.

Nurses also provide direct care to patients. They have more responsibilities than nursing assistants, but less than doctors. They can work in many settings, including hospitals, doctor’s offices, and nursing homes. Therapists also provide direct care to patients. They often work with patients who have physical or occupational injuries. Therapists may also work with patients who have mental health conditions.

Since these jobs require the most training and deal directly with patient health, these are also the most lucrative positions. Some doctors can make as much as $400,000 a year. A traveling nurse can command as much as $100,000 annually.

Indirect Patient Care

Indirect patient care careers include those who work in the administrative side of healthcare, such as billing and coding, human resources, and marketing. These professionals help keep the healthcare facility running smoothly.

Medical billing and coding professionals play a vital role in the healthcare industry. They submit insurance claims and code medical procedures. Coders and billers can often do these positions from home.

Human resources professionals are responsible for hiring, training, and managing the staff at a healthcare facility. Marketing professionals promote the healthcare facility and its services to the community.

Non-Patient Care

Non-patient care careers include those who work in the support services of a healthcare facility, such as housekeeping, maintenance, and security. These professionals keep the healthcare facility clean and safe.

Security guards protect the patients, staff, and visitors at a healthcare facility. Patients and staff are in vulnerable positions, so it is vital to have security guards to protect them. Housekeeping staff clean the patient rooms, hallways, and common areas like waiting rooms, and bathrooms. They also disinfect surfaces to prevent the spread of germs. Maintenance staff repair and maintain the equipment in a healthcare facility. They also make sure that the building is up to code. The last thing anyone needs is to have the hospital or clinic fall apart. These aren’t the only types of non-patient care either.

Working on medical devices (such as repair) could be an option; even the manufacturing, selling, or even management of healthcare items such as Convatec ostomy supplies, for example, still plays a massive role in protecting and helping patients without fully interacting with them. So, if you want a healthcare career that’s not so hands-on with patients but still want to help and make a difference, then this could be your answer. 

Pros and Cons of a Healthcare Career

Like any career field, there are benefits and downsides. The medical field is no different.

Pros:

• Compassionate people usually do well in healthcare careers. They have a natural desire to help others

• Many positions can be financially lucrative

• Job security is good - especially in nursing. The healthcare industry continues to grow

• Many positions available

Cons

• The hours can be long and irregular. Many positions require working nights, weekends, and holidays

• It can be a physically demanding career

Is a Healthcare Career for You?

If you are interested in helping others and want to make a difference in people’s lives, then a healthcare career may be for you. There are many different types of healthcare careers available, so you are sure to find one that fits your skills and interests.

Final Thoughts on Health Careers

Regardless of which job you prefer, you will play a vital role in healthcare. Some positions will allow you to do online training. If you are interested in online medical education for nursing, consider an online MSN program.

How to Have a Successful Healthcare Career

If you want a higher-paying and more demanding yet rewarding career, the healthcare industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors today. According to PolicyAdvice.net, the global industry was valued at approximately $8.45 trillion in 2018. However, the global healthcare sector could reach over $10 trillion by 2022. And what’s more, is that the U.S. accounts for spending twice what other countries do on healthcare. 

If you want to have a long-term successful career, the healthcare industry is a good place to start researching opportunities. It is one of the fastest-growing industries in both the U.S. and world and there are hundreds of different roles in diverse organizations to choose from – but entering the industry isn’t enough to guarantee a prosperous career. You will also need to do lots of little things to set solid educational and experiential foundations for career growth.

Do you want to succeed as a healthcare professional? If so, here are six tips to help you ensure you have a fruitful career.

Set Realistic, Measurable, and Achievable Career Goals

The first thing you need to do is spend some time defining your short-term and long-range career goals. Maybe you would like to help sick children, embark on a career as a medical doctor, or maybe you would prefer to work in a supporting role and administrative position. Think about your aspirations, your skills, your experience, and your interests within the healthcare sector, and then establish a clear path to success. Creating a calendar of milestones is a great way to start the process.

Improve Your Communication Skills to Improve Professional-Working Relationships

 When some people think about the skills needed to get a promotion, they think about being assertive, strategic, and confident – but it is also very important to ensure you have great communication skills, both written and oral. This allows you to communicate ideas successfully during meetings and discussions and in emails, which is essential for advancement. 

Admittedly right now, you may not be able to communicate in person due to COVID-19, but you can still practice your communication skills during Skype or Zoom meetings. Communicating through video calls or in-person requires the same skill set. Clear thinking skills, strong listening ability, non-verbal communication, and professional respect are the keys to effective communication.

Tell Senior Management or Office Administration About Your Short-term and Long-Range Goals

Most hospitals and medical centers actively encourage their employees to start a career with them, so if you tell management about your short-term and long-range goals, they may provide additional training or financial support to pursue continuing education or enroll in a degree program relevant to your job. For instance, if you work in an administrative position but would like to move into an IT role, your employer may pay for you to study IT at the university-level. This will make it much easier for you to move up the healthcare career ladder, and it also means management is more likely to consider you for extra work or a promotion. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Take Initiative and Show Off Your Leadership Skills 

Stand out among other employees by making a conscious effort to be the most passionate and motivated employee on your team. You can do this in lots of different ways; you could apply for leadership positions or senior management opportunities—if you have the experience and education. You could also offer to mentor new employees, train junior team members, or you could volunteer at the hospital you work outside of your regular work schedule. These small steps will show management that you are a dedicated, passionate, hard worker, so they are more likely to provide you with opportunities in the future. Don’t be afraid to showcase your management skills.

Refine Your Skills and Expertise to Become More Qualified for Higher Paying Positions within Your Organization

You may need more qualifications to move up the career ladder within your organization. For instance, if you want to work as an executive director, hospital administrator, CEO/CFO, dentist, or a doctor, you may need to get a healthcare qualification or degree from an organization such as https://onlinemha.bc.edu/. This will mean that you have to step away from your current healthcare role for a few years so that you can study and complete the degree, but once you are qualified to fulfill the role, you will be able to apply for lots of better paid, higher-level positions or simply move the ranks in your existing organization.

Expand Your Network to Maximize Career Opportunities

Finally, it can be beneficial to network with diverse people in the healthcare industry in your local area as well as throughout the country. You don’t have to forge bonds with every single co-worker or colleague you meet; instead, focus your energy on creating genuine business relationships with people you admire and respect. You can do this by attending healthcare events (such as conferences, conventions, or talks), or you could network on LinkedIn, or in virtual industry events using forums and industry websites. With the technology available today, there are countless ways to build your network.

4 Mind-Blowing Reasons To Choose A Career In Healthcare

Healthcare careers divide opinions. Everyone knows how valuable they are to society, and the work of all the individuals in healthcare jobs is unquestionably brilliant. However, many people don’t want to enter this career field because they’ve heard bad things. They think you work long hours, get hardly any pay, and you don’t have many holiday days.

While these things can sometimes be true, they neglect to mention the benefits of a career in healthcare. It can be far better than almost any other career out there - and here’s why:

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Jobs for life

Humans will always need healthcare. We will always need help when there’s a problem with our bodies, and we need professionals to provide advice. Some elements of AI or robotics may enter the field, but human workers will always remain. In this respect, a career in healthcare is a career for the future. You won’t need to worry about being let go, which provides you with some much-needed job security.

Room to grow

Speak to people in this industry, and you’ll quickly learn that there’s always room to improve. Doctors can undergo additional training to become surgeons or specialists. Nurses can get degrees that allow them to improve their job title and take on more work. If you look at the website for the University of Southern California, you’ll see that healthcare administration assistants can also advance their careers with degrees. Everyone has a chance to climb the ladder and improve their job position. Life is much better when you know that you can do something to get a better job. There are always opportunities in healthcare, which is what makes it such a brilliant career choice.

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Job diversity

In the last paragraph alone, you saw around three different job titles. The healthcare sector is massive. This means there are so many different jobs you can explore. People assume you have to be a doctor or a nurse. But, you can be a physical therapist, a researcher, an admin assistant, a record keeper, etc. You’ll struggle to find another sector that offers the same job diversity as the healthcare industry. In essence, there’s a role for everyone!

In-demand roles

People with the qualifications to get a job in healthcare will rarely have to wait a long time. In most scenarios, you go straight into work after gaining your qualifications. This is because these jobs are so in-demand. You see things on the news all the time about a lack of people in hospitals and other healthcare institutions. The world needs people like this, so your job search should be reasonably easy.

Healthcare careers are much more rewarding than some people will have you believe. Don’t neglect this sector if you’re looking for a new job. It’s especially suitable for students that want to know what degree to study. Find a healthcare degree, and you will be on a fast path to an excellent job. Despite what some people say, the pay in this sector can be excellent when you gain experience.