What It's Like Working in Healthcare: What You Need to Know

Registered nurses make about $80,000 a year on average.

However, the salary can significantly increase depending on the field they specialize in. If you're looking for a promising career where you can help people, you should consider a career in healthcare.

You'll have the opportunity to earn a competitive salary. You'll also have the chance to build a career that fulfills you. Job security, helping people, and the ability to make a difference, are all possible in the healthcare field.

What exactly is it like working in healthcare? Read on to find out.

Popular Healthcare Jobs

What are some of the most prevalent healthcare jobs today? Here's a shortlist of the most in-demand career fields:

• Registered nurse
• Physician assistant
• License therapist
• Medical sonographer
• Home health aide
• Clinical laboratory technician
• Radiologic technologist
• Surgical technologist or surgeon
• Emergency medical technician
• Anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist
• Cardiovascular technologist
• Respiratory therapist

In addition to the list above, chiropractors, genetic counselors, and pediatricians are also in high demand. Your experience working in healthcare will vary significantly from one role to the next.

Are you looking for a career that you can start in 2 years or less? Depending on the program you pick, you could be finished with your training in a few is 20 months.

After obtaining whatever certification or degree is necessary, you'll need to look for the best location to perform your internship. Each job role will come with different continuing education requirements as well.

Talk to a Healthcare Professional

We find that the best way to decide which industry to dive into is by talking to people already doing it. Do you have a friend or family member already working in the healthcare field? Wonderful!

Reach out to them and find out their job role and how they got there. Ask them about their day-to-day tasks.

If you feel comfortable, ask them about their salary as well. The more inside information you can get about a specific role, the easier it'll be to decide if it's the right path for you.

Typical Healthcare Training Programs

What type of training programs can you expect to encounter during your healthcare career?

Here's a shortlist of the courses you might be required to take:

• Bloodborne pathogens
• Healthcare ergonomics
• Healthcare personal protective equipment
• Handling medical, hazardous waste
• Laser safety
• HIPAA compliance
• Ionizing radiation safety
• Medical laser safety officer
• Office ergonomics

For immediate access, you'll want to look for online training courses. The best online training courses will be designed so you can complete them quickly while still absorbing the material. That means you'll need to look for courses that are easy to use and up-to-date.

Before signing up for a course, double-check that the organization updates its materials as new regulations come out. The best compliance training programs will also have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

Online Engagement Matters

It's also a good sign if the organization offering the training has an active online presence. For instance, do they have an Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter account? The more engaged the school or training program is with its clients, the better your experience.

When a company is up to date with digital trends, it'll be more likely to provide you with an excellent online experience. If at any point you doubt the security of a compliance training program, check a third-party source for reviews. Programs such as Trustpilot are a great way to monitor online courses.

What Is Healthcare Ergonomics?

A couple of the courses we mentioned earlier are healthcare ergonomics and office ergonomics. Many healthcare workers encounter situations where they'll have to make repetitive movements.

If you don't know the proper way to move your body, repetitive movements can result in injuries. Healthcare courses in ergonomics help educate students on the best system and tools to avoid job injuries.

Online courses will teach you how to operate in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities alike to avoid becoming a victim of chronic pain. Suppose you plan to become a physician, nurse, or physical therapist. In that case, you can expect to take a course in healthcare ergonomics. You can even specialize in healthcare ergonomics safety training to advance your career.

Daily Workflow With a Healthcare Career

What kind of tasks can you expect in your day-to-day workflow?

Here's a shortlist of the different responsibilities nurses usually handle:

• Assisting with physical examinations
• Charting patient records
• Handling patient vitals
• Working with insurance providers
• Assisting physicians

Your healthcare career can be in a fast-paced setting with patients or an educational arena. Some roles require lab work or over-the-phone customer service behind the scenes.

Do you plan on working directly with patients? Your patient-facing job role and where you work will play a big part in your day-to-day experience.

For instance, nurses who work in hospitals tend to work longer shifts. You could easily work a 12-hour shift and encounter patients all day long.

On the other hand, a school nurse will probably only work during school hours. You'll see fewer patients since the students will be the only patients you'll have.

Registered Nursing Careers

Did you have your site set on becoming a registered nurse? Registered nurses can work in walk-in clinics, doctor offices, and even surgical centers.

A registered nurse could also work as a home care provider at a residential location. Sometimes registered nurses will work in triage or provide virtual care to their patients using telehealth services. Keep in mind that there are different levels of nursing positions available based on your degree credentials.

Working in Healthcare Long Term

Now you have a better vision of what a long-term career looks like working in healthcare. Compliance Training Online is proud to offer some of the best virtual healthcare courses to start and advance your career.

When you sign up for one of our courses, you can go at your own pace from the comfort of your home. We also offer practice tests after every lesson, so you'll feel great when it's time for the final exam.

Are you ready to start a career you love? Contact us about our different healthcare-focused courses today!