Top 10 Healthcare Careers for 2014

When it comes to healthcare careers, many immediately think about doctors and nurses. However, there are many other career options within the industry. In addition to job security, these professions also offer generous salaries. Whether you’re in the medical staffing industry, ready to grow or launch your own healthcare staffing company, or deciding on a healthcare career specialty,  consider these growing fields.

Here are 10 of the best healthcare careers for 2014

Pharmacist: Aside from dispensing prescription medications, pharmacists provide valuable advice pertaining to prescription drugs, as well as how to safely use them. Salary=$117,000, Projected job growth=25 %

Podiatrist: Podiatrists help patients with foot, ankle, and lower leg problems. In addition to providing diagnoses for illnesses, podiatrists also treat injuries and provide surgical care for patients. Salary=$116,000, Projected job growth=20%

Optometrist: Specializing in eye exams, optometrists perform routine checks to detect vision problems and diseases. Optometrists also write prescriptions for eyeglasses or contact lenses. Salary=$98,000, Projected job growth=33%

Physical Therapist: In addition to pain management, physical therapists help patients with injuries or illnesses improve their movement. Salary=$80,000, Projected job growth=39%

Occupational Therapist: Occupational therapists help patients suffering from illnesses, injuries, or disabilities by introducing therapeutic techniques and equipment that can help improve the skills necessary for everyday living and working. Salary=$75,000, Projected job growth=33%

Speech Pathologist: Speech-language pathologists provide treatment and diagnoses for communication and swallowing disorders. Salary=$70,000, Projected job growth=23%

Chiropractor: Chiropractors offer treatment for patients encountering health problems with bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. By using spinal manipulation and other treatments, chiropractors also help treat patients’ back or neck pain. Salary=$66,000, Projected job growth=28%

Respiratory Therapist: Patients suffering from breathing problems, such as asthma or emphysema, seek care from respiratory therapists. Additionally, respiratory therapists offer urgent care to patients encountering a stroke, heart attack, or shock. Salary=$56,000, Projected job growth=28%

Laboratory Technician: Laboratory technicians collect samples from patients and perform tests to further examine tissue, body fluids, and other substances. Salary=$36,950, Projected job growth=15%

Medical Records Technician: Aside from managing and organizing health information data, medical records technicians make sure that the information is accurate, secure, and readily accessible via paper and electronic systems. Salary=$35,000, Projected job growth =21%

Thanks to the implementation of Obamacare, healthcare jobs are poised to experience massive growth as more people seek services. For more information on the hottest healthcare careers for 2014, visit the Bureau of Labor Services Occupational Outlook Handbook for healthcare.

5 Tips for Choosing a Medical Staffing Agency

Medical staffing agencies can be a great way to help you expand your job opportunities as hospitals and other healthcare institutions tap talent to fill in for permanent employees, which can potentially lead to a more permanent career for you. By hiring from a reputable medical staffing agency, the employer is assured that they meet the necessary qualifications, which means you picking the right medical staffing agency to sign up with crucial. Here are some tips on choosing the right medical staffing agency for you:
1. Do your research and look into a variety of agencies. You can actually register with more than one agency and you may find you prefer one over the other and decide to remain with them after trying out a few different ones.

2. Don’t feel pressured. There’s no need to sign a contract right away or feel pressured to take a specific assignment either. Wait for the right staffing company and job, rather than settling for one you won’t be happy with, even short-term.

3. Find out how often the agency gets jobs opportunities. There’s no point in signing with a medical staffing agency that won’t open doors for you because they don’t receive many job openings. Be sure the agency receives ample assignments, and find out how many are in your field.

4. Meet the people working for the agency. Since those employed by the staffing agency will be the ones helping you through the process of finding temporary medical staffing employment, they should have a clear understanding of the position you’re looking for. If they don’t, you won’t be happy with the results.

5. Choose an agency that has your best interests in mind. The best medical staffing agencies will look out for you, provide support and understand what sort of jobs are the right fit for you. If they aren’t willing to do so, they aren’t an agency worth sticking with.

Medical Staffing: The Highest Demand Medical Careers

While medical jobs are practically always in demand, the following jobs in the medical field have been predicted to grow in the ten-year period of 2008-2018, according to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

1. Home Health Aides. Expected to double by 2018, home health aides are projected to have the highest rate of growth. Though the pay for this job can be just above minimum wage, the availability of jobs and the fact that no college degree is needed have made this the job expected to be the highest in demand.

2. Medical Assistants. Another health career that doesn’t demand a college degree, medical assistant come second on the list with an estimated nearly 34% growth percentage from 2008-2018. Medical assistants help nurses and doctors with drawing blood, giving injections, taking a patient’s vital signs, and more. Though there are certification courses for medical assistants, most learn and are trained on the job.

3. Registered Nurses. Registered Nurses (RN) are supposed to have an increase in growth of approximately 22%. In the ten year period of 2008-2018, over half a million more RN jobs are supposed to be added. At the very least RNs need an associate’s degree, which is the most common level of education for RNs to have completed according to the BLS, though many also have a bachelor’s degree as well. Because of the higher levels of education RNs have, they’re paid more than medical assistants and home health aides.

4. Physicians and Surgeons. Expected to grow by 21.8% by 2018, roughly 144,000 jobs in these fields will be added. Physicians are already in such high demand today and experts estimate that as many as one of every ten physician openings remains unoccupied. Because of the high level of education required – a medical doctorate – to become a physician or surgeon, these jobs are among the highest paid in the healthcare realm.

5. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) & Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN). Projected to have a 20.7% increase in growth by 2018, LPN and LVN jobs come in at number five on the list. LPN or LVN jobs don’t demand as much college as RN jobs so the pay is usually less for LPNs or LVNs but are above the pay grade and education levels of medical assistants.

6. Nursing Aides, Orderlies, Attendants. Nursing aides are supposed to see a projected 18.8% increase in growth from 2008-2018. While nursing aides and orderlies can be found in hospitals, typically they work in long term care or nursing homes.

If you are considering launching a medical staffing business, these fields may be your safest bet. Don’t forget – the higher the demand, the more cash flow you’ll need in hand. It’s a good thing PRN Funding is here and ready to fund your business with our medical staffing factoring programs. From nurse staffing to healthcare staffing programs – we work with staffing companies of all sizes to help them grow!