The healthcare industry is expected to experience unprecedented growth in the coming years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the healthcare industry will add more jobs than any other economic sector through 2026.
It’s no wonder many people are interested in pursuing careers in this ever-expanding field. You can choose from various specialties and job opportunities with high pay and excellent benefits. This article will explore some of these exciting opportunities and what it takes to become one!
Medical Assistant
Medical assistants are the first point of contact for patients. They work alongside physicians, registered nurses, and other health professionals to support treating and diagnosing illnesses and injuries.
A medical assistant’s responsibilities include administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments, handling insurance claims and patient billing, maintaining medical records, performing routine laboratory tests in a clinical setting such as drawing blood samples, and preparing patients for procedures such as taking vital signs or administering injections.
They also assist with examinations; answer questions about treatments or medications; provide education on self-care techniques; interview clients to identify their needs; make referrals to other healthcare providers when necessary, and monitor patients after surgery until they are discharged from the hospital or clinic for example by checking vital signs.
Family Nurse Practitioner
You can expect to make between $85,000 and $127,000 annually as a family nurse practitioner. Family nurse practitioners work in various settings, including acute care hospitals, physician offices, outpatient clinics, and community health centers. They care for patients with chronic illnesses or injuries and those who are healthy and need routine checkups. If you like working with people but don’t want to be confined to an office all day, this may be the perfect career for you!
To become a family nurse practitioner, you usually need a Master’s Degree in Nursing (MSN). The program takes anywhere from 2-3 years, depending on how many hours per week you spend studying at school while working part-time. The program will include courses such as anatomy/physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, clinical decision-making skills, leadership development, etc.
If you can’t manage classroom training time, you can also enroll in online MSN FNP programs. This will save you commuting time. Besides, you can take the class as your schedule permits, giving you much-needed flexibility. In addition, you won’t have to wait for 2 or more years to finish the program and score a good job. You will earn the master’s degree in less than two years.
Physical Therapist Assistant
The physical therapist assistant is a growing healthcare career that helps people with injuries and chronic diseases. Physical therapist assistants help patients manage pain, restore mobility and function, prevent deformities from occurring, and maintain healthy lifestyles.
They work closely with physical therapists to care for people recovering from an injury or surgery, which their doctors have referred to rehabilitation at home or in an outpatient setting. Physical therapist assistants also assist patients who have received treatment for a specific condition but need ongoing care as they age, such as those recovering from stroke or spinal cord injury.
Physical therapist assistants ensure that the patient’s needs are being met by administering treatments according to the physician’s orders and supervising other staff members if they’re working in a hospital or nursing home facility instead of a private practice setting like hospitals offer in today’s medical professions.
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Occupational therapy assistants are professionals who help patients with disabilities or injuries. They assist occupational therapists in their jobs by performing various tasks, such as helping patients learn to perform daily living skills and working one-on-one with them to improve their health and well-being.
The occupational therapy assistant job requires a lot of manual dexterity, so it’s essential to be comfortable with your hands. You should also have patience because you’ll spend a lot of time helping people through difficult situations. You must also be able to solve problems on the fly, especially when dealing with complicated equipment such as wheelchairs.
Additionally, communication is essential because you’ll need to listen carefully to what patients tell you about how they’re feeling or what’s going on in their lives. You can respond appropriately without overwhelming them with questions or causing more stress than necessary.
Medical Billing and Coding Specialist
Medical billing and coding professionals are responsible for receiving, processing, and maintaining confidential patient information. They also provide information to insurance companies to ensure that the correct codes are used for billing the right insurance company.
In addition to their responsibilities in processing medical claims and submitting them electronically, these professionals must code all of the services provided by their employer’s healthcare organization.
Codes allow hospitals, physicians’ offices, home health agencies, and other providers an efficient way of tracking patient care through billing systems such as ICD-10-CM (International Classification of Diseases) or CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes.
Healthcare Administrator
A healthcare administrator is a high-paying job with a median annual salary of $89,640 and a growth potential of 14% by 2024. This is one of the most exciting careers because it allows you to change lives and impact society.
Healthcare administrators manage hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and other health care facilities. You must be detail-oriented and good with people as you will interact with patients and other staff members daily.
You must also have strong leadership skills as you will need to motivate them towards achieving goals set by the management team. This is a great career choice if your passion lies in healthcare administration!
Health Care Educator
Healthcare educators are in high demand, and the job outlook for this position is excellent. Healthcare educators work with people from various backgrounds to teach about health care products and services.
They must possess strong communication skills and the ability to work with people from all walks of life. This includes individuals who want to learn more about their own healthcare needs and those who are already working in the field but need further training or education on how best to do their job.
A critical aspect that differentiates a healthcare educator from others within the industry is their ability to provide instruction on topics related to delivering medical care and navigating through insurance programs or billing processes involved in processing claims submitted by patients using private insurance plans.
In addition, they may also provide tips on making informed decisions regarding medical treatment options based on patient diagnosis information supplied by physicians, for example, medication side effects.
Conclusion
Many healthcare careers can be rewarding in their own right and offer great growth opportunities. If you’re looking for a career that will give you plenty of options, consider one of these seven in-demand healthcare careers with tremendous growth potential.
