Which Healthcare fields ARE hiring?

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Jul 14, 2011

Primary care, dentistry and behavioral health professionals.

I think all of allied health is over saturated.

Butterfliesnroses · Jul 14, 2011

I 2nd that my area is short on PT, OT, ST. With that said I've proven myself at one nursing home, left said nursing home for a better paying job. That nursing home has called me on more than one occasion to try to get me back full time. I work there on call at this present moment and the other place full time.

ETA: I don't think though that you can choose an area of healthcare based on what area needs workers NOW. I think you should choose a career based on what you have passion for!

radicalsenseofhope · Jul 14, 2011

ETA: I don't think though that you can choose an area of healthcare based on what area needs workers NOW. I think you should choose a career based on what you have passion for!

Yeah, that. :up:

jlpsu · Jul 14, 2011

I'm not sure what level of education the OP is thinking of getting, but just to be clear with the recommendations above:

SLP and OT require a masters degree at the minimum, and PT requires a doctorate. Of course, there are assistant programs (OTA, PTA) programs that do not require the same level of education (nor do they get the same level of pay, obviously).

I have my Bachelor's degree in Communication Disorders (Speech Therapy) and I regret not going on for my masters right after school. I got married, had kids...you know the drill. Now, it's been so many years that I would have to start over taking pre-req's to go back to that. I worked for a while as an unlicensed speech therapist (Not a licensed Speech Language Pathologist) and I found the work to be very isolating. I worked with kids, and didn't get to talk to an adult all day. Not my cup of tea. But that's just me. (and might have been a whole different story if I'd had my masters and CCC-SLP). I still regret not going that route only because I have 4 children, and working as a SLP in the schools is a great gig. Then again, not a lot of jobs just for the school set.

So, now I am going back in Nursing - which is where my passion is anyway...and what I would have done the first time around if (1) my mom wasn't a nurse and hadn't talked me out of it (lol!) and (2) I hadn't been young and wanted to work on my social life more than I wanted to study microbiology (i.e. the sciences intimidated me!). Live and learn. By the time I'm done with all of this, I'll have 2 bachelors degrees (not in nursing) and a masters in nursing (but that's quite a few years off...I'm getting my R.N. via very good diploma school first).

Choose a career wisely, but you can't always predict what will be going on when you finish school. Nurses can work in many different settings...I have a friend who's a nurse who works for an insurance company. I give that example not to say that's the way most of us want to go, but to illustrate that not all nursing jobs are bedside in hospitals.

Plus have you heard the saying "Humans Plan, God laughs"? I've found it to be very true. Research, investigate, interview friends who have the job you want, but at the end of the day, you need to choose a career based on what will make you happy. Not necessarily by how much money you will make, or what the job market is currently. I'm often amazed reading these boards by the people who can't find jobs. All 3 schools I've researched in my area have 100% job placement within 6 months. So - again, it REALLY depends on the area of the country. I'm in Pittsburgh and at least for now, jobs are out there. The fact that they *may* not be in 3 years when I'm done isn't stopping me - because really - how could I know what's going to happen in 3 years?

Do what makes you happy....