The hum of an urban hospital emergency room, the stream of patients in a physician's clinic, the clatter of students seeing the school nurse, the quiet rooms of a nursing home: Healthcare is all of these and more.
Health services, including home healthcare, hospitals and offices of health practitioners will see their employee ranks expand as demand increases because of an aging U.S. population requiring more health-related services and longer life expectancies, says Career Smarts: Jobs with a Future author Martin Yate.
In general, jobs in medicine are recession-proof and well paid, with added incentives such as being able to relocate nearly anywhere in the country and find work. Securing a position in healthcare also means knowing that demand for your job will always be high.
According to the latest figures, the national average nursing salary is $45,000 and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that jobs for RNs will grow 23 percent by 2008. A registered nurse needs an associate degree in nursing and if working in a hospital, is usually assigned to an area such as surgery, maternity, pediatrics, emergency room, intensive care, oncology or rehab.
Vanderbilt University professor Peter I. Buerhaus, a well-known healthcare economist, recently predicted that a current nursing shortage of about 100,000 nurses could grow to eight times that size by 2020.
"Just as the legion of baby boomers is about to swell the need for quality healthcare…America's hospitals and other institutions need more nurses, especially those who deliver specialized care," stated a report by Sigma Theta Tau International, the honor society of nursing.
Other healthcare areas include radiology, which uses X-rays in diagnosing medical problems, and lab positions. The growth of HMOs has created many positions in outpatient services, at-home care and in preventative medicine. In tandem, there is a need for healthcare administrators and managers as well as patient reps, chief financial officers and managers with a business or finance background.
Adding to the healthcare crunch is an anticipated shortage of people entering the field. Recognizing this critical need, especially in light of studies pointing to the correlation between the level of patient care and the adequacy of hospital staffing, healthcare advocates are promoting the positive aspects of nursing and other related areas to students.
If you're interested in a healthcare position, experts say that education and experience are key. They suggest:
- Obtaining a part-time job at a clinic or nursing home to see whether it's geriatrics or pediatrics that fulfills you.
- Volunteering at a hospital or doctor's office to see whether a faster or slower pace of work suits you;
- And finally, don't be afraid to try again if the experience is not positive.
Once you're working, you can expect lots of on-the-job training as well as the necessity for continuing education courses to stay up-to-date on the latest medical and technological advances.
While hospitals, physician offices and healthcare settings have changed dramatically in the past few decades, some elements of the profession have remained constant - the feelings of compassion and caring that motivate graduates to enter the profession.
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