Whether you’re a seasoned healthcare practitioner, a travel healthcare professional, or just getting started in your career, now’s a great time to plan for your professional future.
Why?
For one thing, physicians, RNs, NPs, PAs, technicians, and other healthcare pros are more valued than ever. Healthcare was a booming industry prior to COVID-19, but if the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that healthcare is a noble profession with a lot of opportunities.
In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has estimated an 18% growth rate in healthcare occupations by 2026. This can mean over 2.4 million new jobs!
In a nutshell, here’s what’s causing continued job growth:
- An increasingly aging population, which leads to higher demands for healthcare professionals
- Healthcare is a hands-on occupation, not a job that can be outsourced out of the country
- Improved healthcare leads to people surviving severe illnesses and injury, needing long term therapy and care
- Demand for less expensive outpatient and home healthcare. The aging population wants to stay at home!
So are you ready to take your next big career step? Here are five healthcare jobs with a promising future including rapid job growth:
1. Physician Assistant/Nurse Practitioner
Physician assistant and nurse practitioner roles are expected to grow by 39%. This role requires you to have a master’s degree, and your job would be to coordinate patient care and work on the team with physicians, surgeons, and other healthcare workers. You would be examining, diagnosing, and treating patients.
2. Pharmacy Technician
Pharmacy technicians are part of a growing field across the U.S. A pharmacy tech works alongside the pharmacist to prepare and dispense prescription medications to the patient or directly to the healthcare professionals providing hands-on care. And you don’t necessarily need years of education for this growing role – a high school diploma is typically enough.
3. Physical Therapist
Healthcare jobs that work in both home and facility settings are in great demand – which is why physical therapists have projected job growth of 28%. This role helps people who are injured or ill to improve their movement and decrease pain levels. It’s a vital part of the rehabilitation process for people with chronic conditions, illnesses, or injuries and requires a doctorate degree in physical therapy.
4. Surgical Technician
Surgical technicians are also known as operating room technicians. These valuable team players are the right hands of the surgeon, and because of the increasing number of surgical procedures in general, job growth in this profession is substantial. A surgical tech typically earns a post-secondary non-degree, an associate degree, or certificate.
5. Registered Nurse
Nobody is surprised that registered nurses are in high demand. There is a 22% job growth expected – and one of the biggest reasons is the extreme versatility of RNs. There are job openings in hospitals, physicians’ offices, home healthcare, long-term care facilities, outpatient clinics, schools, and even the military. To get started, you’ll need either a bachelor’s degree in Nursing, an associate degree in Nursing, or in some states, a nursing diploma.
At Focus Staff, we understand the ins and outs of traveling healthcare professionals during these challenging times and have access to a wide variety of excellent professional opportunities. To learn more, contact us today.
