Why Is Healthcare the Career of the Future?
If you read or listen to the news, there always seems to be something new happening in the world of technology. Some new idea has been introduced that, although it might seem alien to us initially, will soon become part of what we do regularly. Think of smartphones, for example, and how not that long ago, they were something only wealthy people had, and most people had no idea what they would ever want one for. Today, most people have one and not only that, would be lost without one.
Most of the time, this kind of innovation and moving forward is positive. It’s something that benefits humanity. However, when it comes to jobs, it’s not always seen as a good thing. In fact, some would argue that technology is replacing people in some professions, making it harder to find a job. Some jobs are disappearing altogether.
That is not something that could ever be said for healthcare, however. When it comes to healthcare, the reality is that although there are indeed always new techniques and elements of technology coming to the fore, they are not there to replace anyone, and are instead intended to work in harmony with the human part of healthcare. If there is one sector of work that needs the human touch, it’s health.
This is one of the reasons why healthcare is seen by so many as the career of the future. If you’re looking for something stable and long-term with excellent prospects, there aren’t many choices that fit the bill quite as well as healthcare does, and perhaps nursing, in particular. Read on to find out why else healthcare is considered to be an excellent career choice if you’re looking for something that is essentially future-proofed.
An Increasing Population of Elderly People
When you look at the statistics for the population of the earth, you’ll see that although in many places births are slowing or kept at a certain level – in general, at least – the population is still increasing. How can this be? It’s because we are living longer, so there are more people on the planet even if births are not increasing. This is down to good healthcare; it’s why in the 21st-century life expectancy is so high compared to how it has been in history. We can take care of people in a better way and give them a longer life that is full of quality.
Yet, there is a downside to this. Or rather, there are some things we need to take into consideration. Healthcare has indeed given us the chance to live longer, but if the population is growing because of this, and especially if old age brings with it more health conditions, including both physical and mental, then clearly, we need more healthcare professionals to take care of these people. This means that healthcare is a stable career to get into, as it will always be needed. Current nurses need to consider studying for an online AGPCNP degree from University of Indianapolis so they can work in adult gerontology specifically.
In other words, the aging population means that healthcare is more important than ever before, and more healthcare professionals are needed, no matter what technology is introduced.
Earning Potential
Another reason why it could be a wise decision to choose a healthcare career is the earning potential. Of course, many people would choose to become a doctor or nurse because they want to have a rewarding career and help people, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that we all need to eat and pay the bills. So having a career that offers good earning potential for the long-term is certainly something you should consider. If it happens to be in healthcare where you can make a real difference in people’s lives, that’s all the better – perhaps you really can have it all.
You might not automatically assume that a healthcare career would offer you much in terms of monetary reward. We’re often told that nursing salaries are low. However, in recent years this has improved considerably, and nurses can now earn a fair wage. In fact, the more qualifications you have and the further along in your career you can go, the more money you can earn, and in some cases that will mean six-figure sums.
It’s not a good idea to choose a career based solely on what you can earn – this is a sure way to be miserable because you haven’t considered every pro and con of that job. However, it is something to bear in mind because working hard deserves fair compensation, and with healthcare, that is what you will get.
Job Opportunities
As we’ve said, technology is wonderful, and if we suddenly had to go without something like our smartphones or TVs or the internet, it would be hard to keep living quite so happily and successful as we currently do. That might seem flippant, but it’s true – we need these tools, even though we didn’t realize we needed them until we had them.
Yet, of course, technology also leads to automation within the workplace, and that leads to job losses. It’s great for business owners as they can save money and get the job done quickly and efficiently, but what about the people who have lost their jobs? It might be hard to find a new one, especially when competition is so tough, and even more so if new technology means that the skills you have are now obsolete.
If you have a healthcare job, automation will happen. New technology will emerge and become part of your everyday working life. However, you will keep your job. Healthcare is a sector where technology is crucial and the more of it we have, the more lives we can save. However, the human aspect is also crucial, and that can help someone recover just as much as anything else. Imagine a hospital with no people and only machines – it wouldn’t instil much confidence, would it? Even if you knew for sure that your health would be taken care of, it would still be an uncomfortable experience.
Therefore, there will always be job opportunities within healthcare. If you have the right qualifications, knowledge, and experience, and you work hard, you will be able to find work when people in other sectors could be struggling to do the same.
Flexible Schedules
Flexible working is becoming more and more important. The work-life balance was once something that some people simply couldn’t have – they had to work and that was it. Today, however, since we know so much more about mental health and, more than knowing about it, we understand what it does to people when it is damaged, flexible working has become a priority. Things that were once hard to organize, such as childcare, self-care, and even studying, are now much simpler to work around.
Healthcare, even though you may not think it at first, is the kind of career that can offer this flexible working, and to some extent, it always has been. Consider the fact that nurses and doctors work shifts. The shifts themselves might be long and hard work, but they offer more than the traditional two days off at the weekend, and, if you can swap shifts with someone else when needs be (and return the favor when you can), you can make a good balance for yourself and not have to miss out.
This also means that you can take better care of your mental health. Too much work and not enough downtime can lead to something known as burnout. If you become burned out, you will be too exhausted to work. This is more than just being tired; it’s a medical condition that can lead to physical health problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease, as well as mental health issues such as stress and depression. Nurses need to avoid burnout in every way they are more susceptible than many other workers due to the hours they put in and the emotional work they must do.
Healthcare is a great option when it comes to choosing a sector to work in because it does offer this flexible working. The further you advance in your healthcare career, the more flexible it can be, so it does pay to keep moving forward and looking for ways to enhance your work.
Many Ways to Learn
If you want a career that is ready for whatever the future will bring, start by looking at the different ways you can learn the skills needed to do that job. Is the learning still stuck in the past, or is it emerging into the modern day or even seemingly futuristic? If it’s the former, then it’s likely the career you are looking at is not going to be future-proofed. However, if it’s the latter, it probably will be.
Healthcare falls into the second category. In the past, you would have had to have attended a physical college to earn your degree in healthcare. Today, you can do this online and part-time. You can do it your way, so you won’t get stressed, and you can learn as much as possible; everyone learns differently, after all.