Are you looking for a career that’s both altruistic and financially rewarding? Look no further; a career in healthcare can help you bring meaningful changes in people’s lives. Statistics show that jobs in healthcare will grow 13% this decade and bring many employment opportunities for youngsters.
However, healthcare encompasses a wide variety of services and jobs, and choosing the right one that aligns with your personal and professional goals can be difficult. To make things simpler, here are some of the best careers in healthcare to help you get started on hunting the right job for yourself:
- Nurse informatics specialist
When working in informatics, nurses make over $85,000 a year, slightly less than a nursing director earns. These professionals combine nursing expertise with IT specialization and play a vital role in the health industry by maintaining the efficiency of patient care. As a nurse informaticist, you’ll use your data analysis skills to translate raw data into important information. Your job duties will include the following:
- Developing EHRs
- Clinical documentation
- Data analysis & trend recognition
Fortunately, you can now leverage distance learning opportunities to become a nurse informatics specialist. Flexible and accredited BSN online programs prepare students for various nursing jobs.
- Nurse educator
Earning over $77,000 on average, a nurse educator performs the crucial task of preparing nursing experts for the future. You can share your knowledge and passion with others while contributing to the advancement of the nursing profession. It’ll be your responsibility to ensure that future RNs have the necessary skills and knowledge to offer the best caregiving to patients. This profession is expected to grow by 40% between 2021 and 2031.
As a nurse educator, you will be responsible for developing curricula, mentoring students, conducting research, and overseeing RNs’ continued education. For anyone who loves academics, it looks like the perfect occupation.
- Dentist
Dentists make more than $140,000 on average annually. As a dentist, you will help your clients maintain dental well-being by diagnosing and treating oral problems. Some dentists also become orthodontists to treat misaligned, crooked, or cracked teeth via braces. You can work in private practices, hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities. This profession continues to grow as the nation’s dental health deteriorates because of bad eating habits.
- Healthcare manager
You can become a healthcare manager by completing qualifications such as an MBA with a concentration in healthcare or an MHA (Master’s in Healthcare Administration). Healthcare managers oversee the daily operations of a healthcare organization, such as general management, cleanliness, finance, marketing, etc. If you have a knack for managerial and administrative job roles and policymaking, this niche might be the right one for you. As per BLS stats, this career is growing by 28%, and will earn more than $100,000 annually.
- Registered Nurse
With a 6% job growth expected between 2020 and 2030, you should consider pursuing a career as a registered nurse. RNs make over $77,000 a year on average and have become badly sought-after in light of the ongoing nursing shortage in the US. Research shows that more than 275,000 nurses will be needed this decade to keep the health industry operational. As a registered nurse, you’ll execute patient-care plans, administer medications, and emotionally support patients.
RNs are the foundations of healthcare in America. They are voted the most trusted professionals as well. Thus, obtain your BSN and pass the NCLEX-RN test to pursue this career.
- Optometrist
An optometrist focuses on eye-related problems and enhancing people’s visual well-being. If you’re confusing optometrists with opticians, there’s a difference between them. Opticians have expertise in vision-correcting devices, such as eyeglasses, whereas optometrists deal with vision-related diseases. A person with expertise in optometry will diagnose a patient’s eyes to diagnose and treat a disease.
Optometrists make more than $120,000 a year. As an optometrist, you will suggest different ways of maintaining good eye health and preventing eye problems for your clients. If surgery needs to be done, you will refer patients to ophthalmologists. Optometrists obtain a degree in optometry as well as relevant certificates to begin their practice.
- Nutritionist
Only 3% of Americans eat healthy food, which makes the scope of this career huge. A nutritionist helps people overcome their unhealthy eating habits and consume nutrition-rich meals. These professionals make over $61,000 annually on average. To become a nutritionist, you’ll need to earn a human nutrition and dietetics degree, pass the CDR exam, and obtain a state license.
Your job as a nutritionist will include assessing others’ nutritional needs, developing meal plans, and guiding dietary modifications. Your services help prevent chronic diseases and manage the well-being of society. A nutritionist can find work in education, research, and even the food industry with such skills.
- Nurse anesthetist
Making almost $160,000 a year on average, nurse anesthetists are among the highest-paid healthcare workers. Their job may sound simple, i.e., administering anesthesia before surgery, but it requires detail-oriented people. Individuals with an extraordinary capacity for untiring focus and unwavering attentiveness should consider an MSN degree and an NBCRNA certificate. These qualifications make you eligible to get your career as a nurse anesthetist off the ground.
As a nurse anesthetist, you will administer pain meds, monitor patients during the surgery, and work with them through recovery until they’re rehabilitated.
- Nurse practitioner
Becoming a nurse practitioner is one of the best careers in healthcare that puts your accountability at par with doctors. With almost 355,000 NPs practicing in the United States today, these professionals fill the gaps made by the lack of physicians. Also, NPs are less booked than normal doctors, so patients are more likely to come to you for help before seeing a doctor. Many states allow NPs to prescribe medicines without a doctor’s approval.
Earning more than $123,000 a year, nurse practitioners have become some of the most sought-after healthcare professionals in the country.
Conclusion
If you’re interested in starting a career in healthcare, there’s no lack of options to choose from. It’s a niche that promises emotional satisfaction and financial prosperity. Some of the best jobs in healthcare in this economy include dietitian, optometrist, nutritionist, anesthetist, and nurse practitioner. Healthcare managers are in demand as well as registered nurses. Pursue the right degree to follow your career ambitions. You can easily enroll in online programs and get the education necessary to kickstart your career in healthcare.
