(Newswire.net — November 26, 2020) — There are lots of reasons why we might choose to work in a particular career. Perhaps we are motivated by the money or the prestige of a role, or maybe the opportunity it offers for travel or spending time outdoors. For others it is a burning desire to help people that drives them, and is the ultimate goal they are looking for in their job.
If that sounds like you, you might want to consider retraining for a role in healthcare. This is a sphere in which you can work knowing that you are making a difference to people’s lives every single day. There are far more jobs available in the field than being a doctor or a dentist, so you don’t necessarily have to go back to college for eight years of medical school either! Here are some ideas to help get you inspired.
Nurse
Perhaps the role that most readily comes to mind when we think of helping people is that of a nurse. As a Registered Nurse (RN) you will play a vital role on the healthcare team, caring for patients of all ages and with all sorts of health conditions. You’ll have a wide variety of tasks, including monitoring and recording patients’ vital signs and progress, administering medications and treatments, assisting with procedures, dressing wounds, taking blood, educating patients and families, and much more.
There might also be a chance for you to specialize in an area of medicine that interests you. This could be a certain health condition such as diabetes or cancer, or a certain department such as critical care. It could also be a particular group of patients, such as working in pediatrics or geriatric care.
If you want to take things further you can also go on to take a Master’s degree in Nursing in order to move into a more advanced role, such a Family Nurse Practitioner. There are even online FNP programs available so that you can study while still working. Alternatively you can take a doctoral degree in nursing, which is especially well suited to those who would like a career in research or academia.
Mental Health Counselor
If you have a particular interest in the mind and psychology, then a mental health counselor could be a fascinating and rewarding career choice. It’s estimated that almost one in every five people in the United States lives with some form of mental illness, and almost all of us will struggle with our mental health at some point in our lives. That’s where mental health counselors come in.
In this role you’ll take a holistic approach and help those in need of emotional and psychological support by utilizing treatments such as psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. You could find yourself working with a diverse range of patients, with conditions ranging from depression, phobias, and anxiety to eating disorders, addiction, post traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder.
When it comes to locations, mental health counselors can work in a specialist mental health clinic or private practice, a hospital, school, business or even a correctional facility. You’ll assess and diagnose your patients, work with them to set goals and identify issues, and develop a treatment plan to help them, perhaps referring them to other health professionals where necessary. A Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling is the recommended qualification for this role, regardless of the subject your first degree is in.
Occupational Therapist
For something more focused on physical health, you could consider a position as an occupational therapist. This involves helping patients who are injured, ill, or disabled to carry out normal daily activities, and assisting them with the recovery, development or improvement of their physical skills. You will have the chance to work with a diverse range of people, from children with disabilities to people who have had serious accidents, and also the elderly.
Your duties will include reviewing your patient’s medical history and evaluating their condition and needs, before working to develop a treatment plan. This will involve assessing their goals and deciding how best to help them achieve these, as well as evaluating and recording their progress. You may also have to demonstrate physical exercises for your patients, or help them to perform certain tasks, and maybe recommend special equipment.
The most popular way to enter this industry is to get a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy, which generally takes two or three years. Part-time study is an option here, too. All states also require you to pass a national examination in order to be licensed before you can start work. To excel, you will need great communication and interpersonal skills, lots of patience and compassion, plus adaptability and creativity.
911 Dispatcher
One role that is a little less physical but still absolutely vital is that of a 911 dispatcher. These are the people who answer emergency phone calls from the public, prioritize them based on the nature of the emergency, and dispatch the appropriate emergency services to assist the caller. They may also have to provide life-saving instructions over the phone, all while keeping the person on the other end of the line calm. They must get all the information necessary to ensure that the first responders have all the details that they need in order to fully understand and deal with the situation.
As you might imagine, for this position you must have excellent communication skills and the ability to remain composed even in stressful situations. Computer skills are also a must, because you’ll be using a number of different systems and types of software. The minimum education requirement for the position is usually only a high school diploma, although a relevant college qualification can be helpful, making it one of the more straightforward jobs on this list to retrain in. That doesn’t mean it’s easier though! You’ll have to undertake on-the-job training on issues such as first aid, suicide intervention, and domestic violence.
Dietician
Obesity is a huge problem in the US these days, with just under half the population being classed as obese. This trend shows no signs of slowing down, which is one of the reasons why dieticians have so much to offer. This role involves advising people on what to eat in order to achieve their goals, whether that’s weight loss, management of a health condition such as diabetes, or simply having a healthy pregnancy. This could be done by preparing meal plans and lists of foods to eat or avoid eating, or even preparing the meals themselves.
Currently a Bachelor’s degree is necessary in order to become licensed as a dietician, but this is set to increase to a Master’s degree in the future. Topics you might cover while studying include metabolism, bioenergetics, food chemistry, sports nutrition, nutrition science and sustainable nutrition. The four main areas dieticians go on to work in are clinical, community, research and food service management.
In addition to getting some work experience, often via an internship program, you will also have to pass a national exam. You can then work in hospitals to treat people who are malnourished, who have eating disorders, or suffer from nutritional deficiencies due to treatments for diseases such as cancer.
Paramedic
If you’re looking for a hands-on job role in a fast-paced environment, becoming a paramedic might be of interest to you. Paramedics serve as emergency response staff in a wide range of medical situations, from car accidents and heart attacks to mass casualty incidents and rescues. As part of the job you may also handle more routine tasks such as transferring patients in an ambulance.
The highest level of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), paramedics provide advanced medical care to patients out in the field. This could include administering medication, treating wounds, providing breathing support, inserting IVs, or even resuscitating patients. Skills you will need include the ability to stay calm under pressure and in the face of unpredictable situations, quick thinking and problem solving, plus good communication and interpersonal skills. Leadership is also important, as you will often be the most senior member of your team. Unlike many jobs on this list, to be a paramedic you must also have a high level of physical fitness, and be able to cope well with potentially distressing situations.
To become a paramedic you must first have a high school diploma and CPR training, and then work towards becoming licensed. To do this you will need to complete basic EMT training and gain some work experience, then you can move on to advanced EMT training. There’s also the option to study an Associate’s degree or Bachelor’s degree at college, but this is not mandatory. Either way you will need to become certified by taking a formal examination.
Hopefully this information has given you some inspiration and ideas for what sort of healthcare career you might like to go into. Age is no barrier and life experience is often very valuable in this field, so you can be confident that retraining in any of them later in life is possible. Good luck!