Want a Career in Healthcare? Here are 5 Great Options

Healthcare is one of the most rewarding sectors to work in it provides the opportunity to interact with brand-new people from all different backgrounds every single day.

No two days are the same within any healthcare job and you will be faced with exciting challenges every day. There are hundreds of different jobs within healthcare, so you are bound to find one that appeals to your nature.

Regardless of which specific area of medicine you choose to work in, you will need to have a particular set of characteristics to succeed in your role.

Healthcare workers need to be empathetic and caring. They need to have great communication and critical thinking skills. They also need to have the perfect balance between being an independent individual and working as part of a larger team to provide high-quality patient care.

If you possess all of these characteristics, the healthcare industry may be a suitable pathway for you. Even if the idea of becoming a doctor is not appealing to you, don’t worry. There is an extensive range of other jobs within the healthcare sector that might be perfect for your skill set and preferences.

Here are five great options for those of you who want to pursue a career in the healthcare industry.

Nurse Practitioner

If you love the thought of diagnosing and treating patients with a range of medical health conditions, nursing might be perfect for you.

As a registered nurse, you will work in a primary or secondary healthcare setting, providing high-quality care to patients of all ages. Registered nurses can earn anything from $42,000-$120,000 per year.

If you have a particular area of medicine that piques your interest more than the others, you might wish to advance on to becoming an Advanced Nurse Practitioner. As an Advanced Nurse Practitioner, you will have a lot more responsibility, but the potential earnings are between $65,000-$195,000 per annum.

To become an Advanced Nurse Practitioner, you will need to study MSN-FNP program, which is usually two additional years on top of your four years studying the BSN qualification to become a registered nurse.

An MSN qualifies you with a Master’s degree in nursing and enables you to enter a particular specialty.

Pharmacist

If you are fascinated by the mechanism of action that each drug uses to treat disease in the human body, pharmacy is going to be a great option for you.

As a pharmacist, you will dispense prescription medications to patients who are suffering from acute or chronic conditions. When dispensing medications, you will also provide important advice to your patience regarding the use and side-effects of the drugs that they are taking.

Pharmacists must have extensive knowledge about the different drug interactions and appropriate dosages for different people.

You will be working either in a hospital or an independently owned pharmacy. You will need to have great interpersonal skills and an eye for detail.

The average yearly earnings of a qualified pharmacist in the United States are around $128,000.

Occupational Therapist (OT)

As an Occupational Therapist, you will be working with children and adults who are injured or disabled. You may also work with elderly individuals to improve mobility and flexibility.

Part of your role involves programming a range of therapeutic activities and exercises to rehab certain muscles and joints or build healthy movement patterns.

You will provide practical advice to help patients transition from a hospital setting back into their home and you might also prescribe medical supplies or home aids, such as walking frames, railings, and ramps.

As an OT, you will need to liaise with other healthcare professionals and family members regarding a patient’s treatment plan. You will also regularly review and reassess each treatment plan and monitor your patients’ progress.

OTs can work in a variety of healthcare setting, including hospitals wards and clinics, schools, and primary healthcare practices within the community. The average salary is around $86,000 a year in the United States.

Dietitian

If you’ve always been interested in nutrition and the impacts of diet on health, dietetics might just be the perfect career choice for you.

Your key duties as a dietitian will also include creating meal plans, writing reports, prescribing dietary supplements, educating patients and other professionals about nutrition, and supervising dietetic assistants.

You will work alongside your patients to help them manage their diet and find the ideal foods for their needs. You will offer health advice and guidance on how to lead a healthy lifestyle based on scientific research.

Dietitians need to have strong communication skills and confidence. It’s also important that they are empathetic and caring towards every patient.

The median salary for a dietitian in the United States is around $63,000 a year.

Physiotherapist

As a physiotherapist, you can work on hospital wards, in hospital clinics, or in privately owned healthcare facilities. You will prescribe exercise programs and rehab plans to patients who are struggling with their physical mobility.

Physiotherapy is often necessary for patients who have been injured or are suffering from chronic physical illnesses that are affecting their ability to move properly. You will work closely with them to improve their movement patterns and range of motion.

Part of your role involve performing physical assessments and clinical examinations to determine a patient’s current mobility levels. From here, you will formulate a personalized plan with the aim to gradually rehabilitate the patient.

If you love direct patient contact and you have great interpersonal skills, this career pathway might be great for you. It’s one of the most rewarding areas of medicine and gives you the opportunities to work with a vast array of different medical professionals and patients.

The average yearly earnings of a physiotherapist in the United States are around $80,000.