The healthcare industry continues to grow at an astonishing rate. While some people might say the only things you can count on in life are death and taxes, you can usually count on catching the flu or getting sick in some way, at some point. As long as humans continue to get ill or have accidents, the need for doctors and nurses will exist, but some new healthcare jobs do not involve working with sick patients.
Jennifer Smith points out the need for lawyers familiar with the Affordable Care Act. Signed into law by President Barrack Obama, this act requires that all U.S. residents carry some form of health insurance and that insurance companies offer coverage even to those with preexisting conditions who were previously denied in the past. The law goes into effect in 2014, and law firms need lawyers capable of understanding the intricacies of that law. While many people don't think about healthcare jobs outside the medical industry, the need for healthcare lawyers and professional advisors will continue growing as patients and insurance companies need help understanding the law.
The need for nurses with advanced degrees has also risen in recent years. In the past, doctors and hospitals hired nurses with two-year degrees, but more of those employers now want nurses with four-year degrees. More than 20,000 new healthcare jobs appeared in November 2012 alone, and a large number of those positions were for nurses. In some communities, employers look for travel nurses or traveling nurses. These nurses make a higher income than traditional nurses because they can work at a variety of offices, hospitals, and other medical settings, and many of these nurses fill in when other workers are sick or cannot work.
The city of Binghamton once had a large number of manufacturing jobs, but the city now has more healthcare jobs than jobs in any other industry. What makes that so interesting is that many employers now need workers with manufacturing backgrounds. The healthcare industry must change as technology changes, and healthcare manufacturing is a growing field. Healthcare manufacturing is responsible for creating hearing aids, specialized surgical equipment, and other tools and equipment that both patients and doctors use. The need for workers with scientific, engineering, manufacturing, or medical backgrounds will surely rise as these jobs become more common.
If you think that healthcare jobs still involve a degree in nursing, surgery, or another medical field, you haven't noticed the changes in the last few years. While the need for nurses keeps growing, employers also look for those capable of manufacturing new parts and equipment and those with an understanding of the Affordable Care Act. As the medical field keeps changing, healthcare jobs will keep changing too.
(Photo courtesy of artur84 / freedigitalphotos.net)
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