In any job market, it’s crucial to have a solid understanding of the fields where you might want to work. Before deciding on your next move, you should consider your interests, skills and career readiness. If you’re interested in healthcare, the field is one that will remain exciting and full of opportunities for the future.
If you’re already in healthcare, you know many different jobs exist within this industry. It’s a thriving industry, and with the advances in technology, it’s only going to get better. As a result of AI and machine learning, people in healthcare who want to advance are seeking new learning opportunities. For instance, you could brush up on your soft skills or even apply to study a master of health administration online in Canada.
The healthcare sector is one that offers incredible opportunities to people. From doctors and nurses to pharmacists, dietitians and so much more. It’s shifting to a high-tech industry that’s all about wellness, longevity and better health. So, there’s good reason to get into the healthcare industry.
Since we know that healthcare is a dynamic field, let’s explore six benefits of working in healthcare. Perhaps you want to advance within the industry, or maybe you want to make a leap and change to a career in the healthcare field and see what it has to offer. Understanding the benefits of working in healthcare provides you with essential information for your decision-making process.
So, let’s dive in and see some of the top benefits working in this industry offers:
1. Healthcare professionals are always in demand
There aren’t many industries that can say they’re always in demand, but healthcare is one of them! In most areas of the world, there’s a shortage of trained medical professionals. With the rise of technology, people need well-trained experts. As a result, it makes the profession a great choice for almost anyone.
Healthcare is a great option if you want to rely on a stable and secure job that will always be in demand. People will always need talented and expert professionals for health and wellness. Additionally, there will always be children and older people with health issues that demand extra care and attention. All these things mean that there’s always a need for medical care. There’s always a need for people who want to enter a highly specialized and growing field.
2. You can make a real difference in people’s lives
This is another area where healthcare workers really excel. The difference you can make in people’s lives is staggering. When you work in the healthcare field, you can help people improve their health and get well. However, you can also help people stay healthy, depending on your area of focus. Also, depending on your job, you can help ease the suffering of terminally ill patients and you can even help people bring new life into the world.
Let’s face it. There’s no other line of work where you can make such a difference in people’s lives. There are more people alive today than ever before. With so many people around, the need for medical professionals is higher than ever. You can help people have healthy and happy lives when you work in this field. You can ease pain, cure sickness and bring new life into the world. What other profession can claim all these things?
3. Degree holders in the healthcare field earn more money
As a result of the increasing specialties in healthcare, you could earn more money. The amount of money you can potentially make with a degree in the healthcare field is above average. You can earn over $100,000 in a year with a degree in a medical-related field. If you only have a two-year degree, you can still make a very comfortable living.
Let’s say you would like to become a certified nurse assistant. In the US, the median salary is $34,000. In Canada, the average base salary is nearly $20. However, if you pursue an advanced degree, you increase your potential for a high income. So, it’s really up to you regarding how much you can make depending on your career goals and interests.
4. Advancement opportunities are plentiful
Due to the high demand for medical professionals, there’s also a high demand for people who want to advance in their careers in the medical field. Career advancement in the medical field can come from a variety of different sources. For instance, you could attain an undergraduate degree and then move toward a graduate degree. So, you can become certified and advance that way.
However, you might also choose to specialize if you already work in the field. For example, you may work in the emergency room and then decide to shift to gerontology or you might specialize in a specific area, such as surgery or psychiatry. Remember, not every path has to be a straight line. There are so many ways to advance in the healthcare field. It’s just up to you and your goals as to what you want to do.
5. Healthcare workers have flexible schedules
You might have noticed that many benefits of working in healthcare involve money, advancement and making a difference. However, working in the healthcare field can offer you a lot of flexibility with your schedule to maximize all the benefits of the job. Many healthcare workers are allowed to pick their hours. This can make your schedule much more flexible.
Depending on your experience and position, you may still earn a good salary, even with fewer work hours. So, you may have the chance to choose your hours so they fit around your family, extra-curricular activities and other obligations that might be going on in your life. Additionally, if you need more flexibility, you can explore how to work in healthcare on a part-time basis.
6. Working in the healthcare industry is a “feel-good” job
Working in the healthcare field is often considered a “feel-good” job. Thanks to all the fantastic things you can do for people, working in the healthcare field often brings a lot of satisfaction. In short, you can see a direct result from your work. That’s often not the case in many other areas.
As time progresses and you build relationships, you can see how your work helps people. Of course, you also know how you have made a difference in someone’s life. This is something that doesn’t happen in every line of work. So, if you’re the type of person who needs to feel like your job is making a difference, then the healthcare field is a great choice.
How to get started and advance in the healthcare field
Now that we have discussed the benefits let’s explore how to get started and advance in healthcare. When you think of the healthcare industry, you probably imagine nurses caring for patients or doctors diagnosing illnesses. While those roles are undoubtedly important, the healthcare field is much larger.
Many job opportunities are available in this industry. For example, you could work in general administration or specific medical areas such as nutrition or pharmacy. If you’re thinking about a career in the healthcare field and aren’t sure where to start, we’ve got lots of helpful information for you. This section covers everything from entry-level positions to advanced specialties in the healthcare field.
What is the healthcare industry?
The healthcare industry refers to the organizations and businesses that provide medical care to patients. It includes hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies and more. Healthcare spending is a huge part of any economy, accounting for a high percentage of any country’s GDP.
The healthcare industry is vast and diverse, so there’s something for everyone. Many job opportunities exist in this industry, from administrative roles to specific medical fields. So, if you’re interested in a career in the field, you have many options from which you can choose. As new healthcare innovations develop, new jobs also get created and, of course, that provides more opportunities.
Healthcare jobs
There are many different types of jobs available in the healthcare industry. For example, you could go into direct patient care or work in general administration. Perhaps you want to specialize and go into nutrition, research or pharmacy. In short, all you need to do is do a bit of research. Many job opportunities exist in this industry, including the following areas:
- Administrative careers: If you’re interested in helping with general business operations, managerial careers are a great choice. Healthcare administrative jobs include accounting, billing, human resources, payroll and IT.
- Medical careers: If you are passionate about helping others, a medical career is a great choice with direct patient care. Medical jobs include roles such as nursing, physician assistants and dental hygienists.
- Nutrition careers: If you’d like to help people maintain healthy diets, nutrition careers are a good choice. Common nutrition careers include dietitians, food scientists and food and nutrition marketers.
- Pharmacy careers: If you want to be a part of the medical field but aren’t interested in direct patient care, pharmacy is also a good option for you. Jobs in pharmacy include pharmacy technicians, pharmacists and pharmacy managers.
Healthcare licensing and certification
As you advance in your career in the healthcare industry, you may need to obtain and maintain specific licenses or certifications to do your job. Many healthcare jobs require degrees or special certificates for you to practice legally. For example, depending on geographic location, nurses need to be licensed to do their jobs.
However, some healthcare jobs don’t require any licensing or certification. For example, general administrative positions in healthcare don’t usually require special licenses or certifications. So, it’s essential to remember that as you advance in your career, you may need to obtain and maintain specific licenses or certifications.
Advance your career with an online degree
As you advance in your career, you may want to earn a higher degree. Earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree is a great way to advance your career and increase your earning potential. Many online bachelor’s and master’s in healthcare programs are available. Many of these programs are specially created for people already working in the field.
These online programs allow you to enhance your skills, gain new knowledge and advance your career. For example, a master’s degree is an excellent choice for nurses who want to move into leadership roles. The reality is that obtaining an online degree also has another plus. It allows you to work and provides excellence in education on-demand and at your pace.
Advanced careers in the healthcare field
If you’d like to advance your career in the healthcare field even more, many advanced jobs exist from which to choose. Some advanced careers in the healthcare field include pharmacy management, health policy and research.
- Pharmacy management: If you’re interested in pharmacy management, you should earn a pharmacy degree first. Once you have a pharmacy degree, you can pursue a career in pharmacy management.
- Health policy: If you’re interested in health policy, you can pursue a career in policy development. Health policy jobs involve studying and analyzing government health policies. Moreover, they help drive change for the betterment of patient outcomes.
- Research: If you’re interested in a research-based career in the healthcare field, you can go into research. Healthcare research jobs involve studying or testing medical treatments or medications.
Healthcare: A top field
The healthcare field will never stop being a top field for a career. Many different types of jobs exist within this industry. So, it goes beyond the obvious choices of doctors and nurses to pharmacists, dietitians and so much more. With such a variety of roles available, it’s no wonder more people are going into the field.
It offers some of the top benefits of working in any industry. Healthcare professionals are always in demand. Further, you can make a real difference in people’s lives. Degree holders in the healthcare field earn more money than most. Advancement opportunities are plentiful and working in the industry is a “feel-good” job. So, if you want an exciting career, healthcare is one of the best decisions you can make.
