If you are looking for a career that is more or less immune to the ups and downs of the market you would do well to consider a career in the public health field. During the most recent economic downturn many workers who thought their jobs were secure found out that just the opposite was true, and the aftermath has left many workers scratching their heads and wondering where to turn. For many of those displaced workers they answer may lie in a change of focus and a change of career.
Even as other industries have been laying off workers left and right many public health sector jobs have been begging for qualified workers. In fact the demand for qualified medical professionals, including registered nurses, nurse practitioners, health care administrators and others, has been very strong indeed. In many parts of the country there are far more available positions than individuals to fill them, and that has helped to keep wages-and job security – very high.
There are a number of factors conspiring to make public health jobs a great place to be – both now and in the future. When you consider these factors you can see why the demand for health care workers is so strong, and why the future for careers in health care is so bright.
While there are many factors at work here, one of the most significant is simple demographics. The baby boom that took place decades ago is still having strong effects on society at large, and one of the strongest after effects is in the field of health care. The baby boomers are just now beginning to retire, and their advancing age means a spike in their health care needs From routine testing triggered by age to more serious health conditions, the baby boom generation is expected to use a lot of health care services over the coming years and decades That means that there will be a strong demand for the doctors, nurses and other health care professionals who will provide that quality health care.
At the same time both public health care agencies and private insurers are looking for ways to cut the waste that plagues the health care system. Estimates vary but many experts agree that fraud, waste and abuse of the system results in billions of dollars in losses each year. If that money could be recaptured those funds could be freed up to provide additional care, and that is another reason why so many health care professional swill be needed in the coming years.
After all health care professionals have a unique perspective on the delivery of health care, and many public and private firms are harnessing this unique knowledge to help fight waste, fraud, abuse and other things that cost money in the health care system. Both government agencies and private businesses are looking for ways to save money on health care, and many of them are turning to nurses and other medical specialists to look for abuse and detect the fraud that steals money from the system.
In fact registered nurses do not all work in hospitals and clinics- many professional nurses are working for private insurers and public health agencies, where they look for signs of waste and abuse and help their employers to overcome it. These highly trained and highly valuable professionals serve an important purpose in today’s health care system, and they are likely to be even more valuable-and more in demand —in the future. As the government looks for ways to trim the fat and cover more of the uninsured there will be a growing need for professionals with the training and experience to fight fraud, waste and abuse. And that is good news for anyone who wants to embark on a new health care career. The demand for highly qualified health care workers remains strong, so if you have been looking for a career path that is immune to the ups and downs of the marketplace you may want to strongly consider a career in the public health arena.
