Career Opportunities in the Health Care Industry
Whether you are actively seeking a new job, or looking to be retrained for a new profession, the health care industry is an excellent direction to turn your attention to. Regardless of the type of work you have been employed at in the past, there are plenty of opportunities in the health care field and there is expected to be many more in the years to come.
There were 14 million jobs in health care in 2006 throughout the nation which made it the biggest industry in that year. Of these jobs, 13.6 million accounted for a variety of jobs for both wage workers as well as salary workers. Approximately 40 percent were to be found in hospitals, while 21 percent could be found in nursing homes and residential care facilities. Sixteen percent of these jobs were found in doctors’ offices.
In the year 2004, the Bureau for Labor Statistics (BLS) ranked health care as the largest of all of the professional sectors throughout the country. At that time there were 13.5 million jobs in health care. Approximately 13.1 million of these jobs were held by salary and wage earners while 411,000 were jobs held by those who were self-employed.
According to the Healthcare Job Outlook 2008- 2009, the health care industry is expected to generate an estimated three million new jobs (both wage and salary positions) between the years 2006 and 2016. This is more than any other type of industry. In fact “seven of the twenty fastest growing occupations are health care related.”
Retraining Opportunities
The need to retrain workers who have been laid off from their jobs has become an increasing concern. According to the forecasts of University of Michigan economists, there will be an estimated 33,000 auto industry jobs lost in the course of the next two years. This loss is above and beyond the losses that have been felt during the past few years.
Efforts to retrain auto workers to become employable in the health field are underway. As nurses and other health care providers retire, the need for more workers to replace them is imminent. Auto workers who are far from retirement age are seen as an untapped work force and resource to the overstressed health care industry. This is a line of work that is well worth taking the time to consider.
In Southeast Michigan the health industry is working closely with the deans of nursing schools as well as human resource professionals to develop health related training programs for workers who are displaced and in need of work. Beaumont Hospital is one such institution that has partnered up with Michigan State University to retrain employees. They have come up with an accelerated program in nursing that takes 12 months to complete.
Another school that is retraining health care workers in order to fill necessary positions is Colorado’s Community College of Denver. The school has created a part time worker- friendly training program that takes place evening and weekends. Those who participate in the program earn a licensed practical nursing credential (LPN).
In Wisconsin in 2007, Senator Russ Feingold introduced an act called the Community- Based Health Care Retraining Act which helps make it possible for workers who are displaced to retrain for jobs in the health care industry.
If you have lost your job and are looking for retraining in the health care sector, check to find out what programs your local community colleges, junior colleges and universities have to offer. Check the local hospitals as well. Search online for programs that can fit your schedule and are financially feasible for you. Opportunities are out there do not give up!
Qualified and skilled workers are always in demand in the health care industry. This is a huge industry that encompasses a tremendous amount of professions- everything from doctors and nurses, to assistants, technicians, therapists and administrators.
Health care is a science intensive and technology driven industry that is composed of workers who are highly educated and extremely well trained. The selection of jobs in the health care sector accounts for a diverse range of educational requirements. Topping the list of the most educated in the field of medicine are practitioners who diagnose and treat health problems. However there are many workers employed in health care who hold down positions that require four years or less of formal education.
Some of the fastest growing occupations in health care include dental hygienists and health information technicians and CNA’s. CNA training is available in many community colleges Individuals in these positions will assist practitioners in the diagnosing and treating of patients and will be responsible for the operation of technical equipment. Many of the employees who fill these positions are those who have graduated from a one or two year training program. These jobs require a high school diploma and special training but often do not necessitate a four year college program.
Service occupations in the health care sector such as home health aides, nursing aides, dental assistants, medical assistants and personal care workers are attractive as retraining options as they require very little specialized training or education. It is possible to start out in any of these positions and then with more education and experience either transfer to another position or move to a higher level job.
Health care employees are in demand, regardless of the level of education and training they possess at any given time. Those who have already have worked in the health care field and/or who have training that is geared towards health, may find it easier to secure new employment as well as to branch into other positions in this sector. However the opportunities that await those new to the field are many and are growing all of the time.
Occupational Outlook for a Variety of Health Care Jobs
When it comes to retraining in the health care sector, here are some of the best positions to consider, as well as the median salary you can expect to earn and the education required for the position.
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
On-the-job-training
$7.58/ hour
(This is one of the fastest growing of all of the health care jobs)
Licensed Practical Nurses
Graduate of a LPN program (one year in most cases)
$26,940/year
(Average growth)
Medical Assistants
Certificate
$20,680/year
(This occupation is growing much faster than average)
Nursing and Psychiatric Aides
Vocational training or on-the-job-training
$7.99/hour
(This occupation is growing faster than average)
Pharmacy Technicians and Assistants
Certificate as well as on-the-job-training
$8.54/hour
(Average growth)
Physical Therapy Assistants and Aides
Assistants must earn an associate’s degree or attend a certified program from a technical school or an accredited community college
Aides receive on-the-job training
$21,870 /year
(This occupation is growing much faster than average)
Take full advantage of the job opportunities that await you in the health care industry and do not lose heart. It may take some time and effort but you will find a new job. Losing a job is never easy but with retraining opportunities available to you, a challenging new career in health care awaits you in the not so distant future!
Health Care Careers, Surgical Technologist
January 6, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
The Career of a Surgical Technologist
Surgical technologists are individuals who, as the name implies, help out in the operating room when surgical procedures are taking place. A surgical technologist, sometimes referred to as a surgical tech, a surgical technician or a scrub, works under the careful supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, as well as other surgical workers. A surgical technologist is part of an operating team and plays a vital role in operating room procedures.
Job Description
A surgical technologist prepares the operating room for surgery by ensuring that all equipment, surgical tools, liquids and sterile dressings are where they are supposed to be. The equipment must be checked by the surgical tech to ensure that it is in proper working order. This includes both sterile as well as non-sterile equipment.
Another important aspect of a surgical technologist’s job is to ready a patient for surgery. The tech washes, shaves and disinfects the site where the incision will be made and then delivers the patient to the operating room. Once there, the technician places the patient on the operating table in the position necessary for surgery and then covers him or her with what are known as sterile drapes. Before surgery, the technician must also check the vital signs of the patient and note them accordingly as well as thoroughly reviewing the patient’s chart. Once the surgical team enters the OR, the surgical technologist is responsible for helping the members into their gowns and gloves.
The surgical tech has other duties to perform during the course of the surgery. Technologists are the ones who hand the doctors and nurses the tools and supplies they require during surgery. They are also responsible for counting equipment and instruments such as needles and sponges. If required, surgical techs may have to handle sterilizers, lights and suction equipment. Sometimes surgical techs are asked to collect specimens and then hand deliver them to the laboratory.
After surgery is over, the surgical technologist must take the patient to the recovery room or their room in the hospital. They must then return to the operating room to restock supplies for the next surgery.
Education and Training Requirements
The training program to become a surgical technologist can take anywhere from 9 to 24 months to complete. This can lead to the person obtaining a certificate, a diploma or an associate’s degree. In order to qualify for a formal program offered by a selection of universities, vocational schools, community colleges, junior colleges, as well as hospitals and the military, you must have a high school diploma. The courses you are required to take in high school in order to study to become a surgical technologist include mathematics, biology, chemistry and health. Always choose a school that has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
Programs of this sort involve both education done in a classroom setting as well as supervised clinical experience. Some of the courses include human anatomy, microbiology, medical terminology, physiology, professional ethics and pharmacology.
Once you have graduated, you then need to become certified to work as a surgical technologist. A professional certification will greatly increase your chances of finding a good job and of being promoted. A tech can receive voluntary professional certification by way of the Liaison Council on Certification for the Surgical Technologist by making sure that they have graduated from a CAAHEP accredited program and then taking and passing a national certification exam. Once the technologist passes the exam, he or she can then use the Certified Surgical Technologist designation (CST).
Another route you can take for certification is by applying to take an examination from the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT). To qualify for the exam a surgical technician must take one of these three career routes- attend an accredited program of study; undergo on-the-job training for a period of two years at a hospital; or spend seven years working in their chosen field.
Career Opportunities and Earning Potential
This is an excellent time to study to become a surgical technician. This occupation is one of the fastest growing of all occupations and is predicted to continue to grow through the year 2010 as the number of surgeries performed on an annual basis goes up. This is due in large part to the rise in the population and also to the fact that the average life span is increasing. The expected need for qualified surgical technologists has been anticipated to grow “24 percent between 2006 and 2016” (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Most surgical technicians are employed in hospitals but growth is anticipated in other medical facilities such as outpatient care centers, doctor’s offices and ambulatory surgical centers.
In 2006 the median annual income of a surgical technologist was $44,077. Generally speaking, salaries for this job range from $34,410 to $54,204.
Is This You?
Before deciding on this health care careers path, you must be aware of some of the important qualities that a surgical technologist must possess. A surgical tech needs to be very organized as well as conscientious, and must be mentally stable enough to work well under pressure in an operating room setting. A person employed in this occupation must be able to respond quickly to instructions and must know how to easily handle the many demands set upon them. Stress and operating room responsibilities go hand in hand.
A surgical technologist must possess manual dexterity in order to handle the necessary instruments in a swift fashion and he or she must be as familiar as possible with operating procedures. A surgical technologist must be willing to take courses to learn new training when required and also must be willing to keep on top of new developments in the healthcare and surgical field.
