Health Care Careers

Health care continues reign as economic driver

Monthly job growth reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that health care is the only bright spot in the economy and has been since the economic downturn began in 2008.

The latest figures for May "show that ambulatory services, which include physicians' offices, accounted for 22,800 of the new health care sector jobs for the month, and hospitals accounted for 4,500 new jobs," reports HealthLeaders Media.

The article also notes that, "In the first five months of 2012, health care created 158,300 jobs, which represent 19.2% of the 823,000 jobs created in the United States. Health care created 115,800 jobs in the first five months of 2011, BLS data shows."

Allied health careers: Low stress, high satisfaction

The allied health field has grown significantly in recent years, and many of these professions are in high demand, such as physician assistants and physical therapists. A further enticement for potential practitioners is that many of these fields are among the best and least stressful jobs, according to a recent study by CareerCast. Both dental hygienist and occupational therapist were among the top 10 careers for 2012, and medical records technician, medical laboratory technician and dietician were among the top 10 least stressful jobs.

The rankings are based on work environment, stress, physical demands, and hiring outlook. The allied health careers that were ranked in the top 20 careers for 2012 all offer low stress and high hiring demand. For example, dental hygiene received a score of 12 on the stress category, versus 30 for nursing.

At the same time, however, it's not just what your work is but when you work that matters. A recent article notes that health care shift workers face a number of health threats, including a higher likelihood of sleep disorders, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome and heart disease due to long hours and unpredictability. Working in a medical office environment or laboratory offers more regular hours and predictability versus the 24/7 hospital environment.

For more information on allied health careers and education, visit the AMA website or consult the Health Care Careers Directory.

News and notes

• New health profession? "Grand-Aides" are trained community members who act as "nurse extenders" by transmitting information and instructions back and forth between patients and nurses (HealthLeaders Media).

• Report: Online job postings for health care informatics are up 36 percent from 2007 to 2011, versus 9 percent for all health care postings (Jobs for the Future).

• A recent blog post from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs profiles unethical or questionable practices by some colleges.

• Physician assistants who work with hospitalists need specific skills and competencies (Today's Hospitalist).

• Congratulations to Nancy J. Smith, MS, SCT (ASCP) on receiving the Exceptional Service Award from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.

• New allied health job vacancy report looks at data for 10 allied health professions in North Carolina.

Pre-order your copy now of the 2012-2013 Health Care Careers Directory

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