If you are an individual who would love to work in a job where you could give back to the community and help others, then you might already be considering a healthcare career. The healthcare sector is an essential part of society that everyone relies on, and being a part of that important service can leave you feeling proud and offer great job satisfaction. However, there are so many different roles within healthcare to explore, and this can make it overwhelming when you’re trying to pick the right path for you. Below are a few examples of some healthcare careers that you might find interesting and could help you discover which role you think would suit you best.
Nursing
When you think of healthcare, one of the first roles that are likely to come to mind is a nurse. When you are a patient going into a hospital or a clinic, nurses are some of the staff that you will see most frequently, and sometimes even more often than you see the doctor. Nurses are there to support patients and other members of the healthcare team so that the best possible care can be provided. They will be helping with things like medication management, observing patient progress, noting their symptoms, taking blood samples, and so on. If you are someone who loves to work directly with people and are compassionate and resilient, then working as a nurse could be right for you.
There are also plenty of career progression opportunities as a nurse, and if you’re happy to get your master’s degree or a doctorate, you could move into specialist positions. For example, you could take a course like this one to become a nurse practitioner in Oklahoma or find a similar course in your state.
Dietician
If you are passionate about healthy living and nutrition, then working as a dietitian could be a great healthcare career for you. In this role, you will be helping people who have poor nutrition to make lifestyle changes to benefit their health. You might also work with individuals who have eating disorders and need the right support to help them manage their disorder and make sure that they are getting the nutrition that their body needs. Creating meal plans for your patients is also something that you can expect to be a part of your everyday job. You will be monitoring your patient’s progress and updating confidential clinical records.
Hospital Management
If you want to be involved in the healthcare sector, but your interests lie more with how these services operate, you might be more interested in pursuing a career in hospital/clinic management. This is a more business-orientated role, and you will be looking at ways to improve the overall operations of these healthcare establishments. You might be working on creating budgets, ordering supplies, recruiting and training new staff, managing staff schedules, and making sure that all the regulations and legal obligations of the healthcare facility are followed. This is an ideal role for those who do have some business savvy and would prefer a role that isn’t always patient-facing.
Care Worker
Care workers are also an important part of the health and social care service. You will need to be a patient and compassionate person as a care worker, and in this role, you will be helping those who are vulnerable in the community. This might be due to a physical disability or illness or mental health issues. You might visit these individuals at home, work in a hospital setting, clinic, or all of the above. Typically, you will be helping the people you care for with daily tasks such as getting dressed, meal preparation, household chores, and medication management. You will also provide them with companionship, monitor their health and progress, and help look after their general mental and physical well-being. Working and supporting their families is also something you can expect as part of your daily duties.
Clinical Psychologist
If you’re more interested in mental health, then training to be a clinical psychologist could be an ideal career in healthcare for you. In this role, you will meet with patients and assess their needs based on interviews and discussions with them. You will also be exploring treatment options with them, such as talking therapies, cognitive behavioral therapy, medications, etc., and make recommendations based on what you have discussed with them. You will be carrying out research in this role and can work with both individuals and groups.
If you are interested in a healthcare career but aren’t sure which one to follow, consider the suggestions above. There are many more paths to explore, but one or more of these might pique your interest.
