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By:
Judith Gerber |
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As we have reported previously in Military Transition Times, healthcare professionals transitioning out of the military will find a wide variety of employment settings to choose from since healthcare continues to be one of the fastest growing job fields in the United States. According
to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment in the healthcare
sector is expected to increase 27 percent through 2014, compared to 14
percent for all industries combined through the year 2014. The BLS also
reports that approximately 19 percent, or 3.6 million, of all new jobs
created through the year 2014 will be in health services, more than any
other industry. Civilian HealthCare Jobs Civilian healthcare organizations include hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities, offices of physicians and dentists, home healthcare services, outpatient care centers, and medical and diagnostic laboratories. The growth
in healthcare employment is not a new trend. Healthcare services was the
largest industry in 2004 providing 13.5 million jobs. Most of these jobs
(41 percent) were in hospitals, while 22 percent were in nursing and residential
care facilities, with the rest in offices of physicians, dentists, and
other health practitioners. Evidence that this trend is expected to continue is demonstrated by the fact that healthcare occupations make up eight out of twenty occupations projected to grow the fastest through the year 2014. These occupations include medical assistant, physician’s assistant, home health aide, and physical therapy assistant. Of all of the jobs in the top twenty, home health aide is expected to be the fastest growing job and to increase by 56 percent. Medical assistant is expected to be number three increasing by 52 percent, physician’s assistant number four on the list increasing by 50 percent, and physical therapist assistants number five on the list, will increase by 44 percent through the year 2014. This employment growth is primarily due to an aging population and longer life expectancies, which will contribute to an increasing demand for healthcare and the need for home health, nursing, and residential care. In addition, high job turnover is expected, particularly from a large number of expected retirements and tougher immigration laws that are slowing down the numbers of foreign health care workers entering the U.S. The following
is an overview of the top four jobs on the BLS list of the projected top
twenty fastest growing occupations. Keep in mind that this information
is presented with the assumption that you are currently working in the
same or equivalent type of position in the military. This means that you
have already completed or have the minimum educational requirements necessary,
and you have some experience serving in that capacity. If one of these
medical positions represents a new career choice for you, remember to
seek out more detailed information about education and/or training and
exact job descriptions. Home Health Aide Home health aides work under the direction of nursing or medical staff to provide health-related services to help elderly, disabled, ill, or injured patients live in their own home instead of a healthcare facility. These health related services include administering oral medications, checking patients’ pulse rates, temperatures, and respiration rates, helping with prescribed exercises, and assisting with medical equipment. Nearly one-third of home health aides work for home healthcare services agencies, while the rest work in social assistance agencies, nursing and residential care facilities and for employment services. While most jobs do not require formal education or training, there are federal guidelines for home health aides who work for employers receiving Medicare reimbursement. They require home health aides to pass a competency test that covers 12 areas ranging from communication skills and patient care provided, to emergency procedures and basic nutrition. In order to pass the competency test, many aides receive training. Federal regulations recommend at least 75 hours of classroom and practical training supervised by a registered nurse. All training and testing programs must meet the standards of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The National Association for Home Care and Hospice offers a voluntary, national certification for home health aides demonstrating that professional standards have been met. The BLS indicates
that home health aide is projected to be the fastest growing occupation
through the year 2014. Medical Assistant Medical assistants help medical practitioners keep their offices running smoothly by handling most administrative tasks, and in states that allow it, taking care of clinical tasks such as performing basic laboratory tests or taking medical histories. Because some states allow medical assistants to handle clinical tasks, many specialize in areas including podiatry and ophthalmology. Most medical assistants work in private physician’s offices and hospitals. Others work in outpatient care centers, educational services, government agencies, medical and diagnostic laboratories, and nursing care facilities. While some medical assistants receive on-the-job training, those that have formal training or are certified will find that they have the best job prospects. Specifically, employers prefer those who graduated from formal 1-year certificate or diploma programs, or 2-year associate degree programs. Accredited programs include an internship that provides practical experience in physicians’ offices, hospitals, or other healthcare facilities. Medical assistants are not licensed but some states do require a test or course before certain tasks can be performed. And, as with most jobs in healthcare, employers prefer applicants who are certified and have passed a national exam, meaning they meet certain competency standards. There are several organizations that award certified credentials including the American Association of Medical Assistants, that awards the Certified Medical Assistant credential, and the American Medical Technologists that awards the Registered Medical Assistant credential. As mentioned
above, employment of medical assistants is expected to grow much faster
than the average for all occupations through the year 2014, and medical
assistant is projected to be the third fastest growing occupation through
2014. Physician’s Assistant (PA) For those who aren’t sure of the difference between a medical assistant and a physician’s assistant, unlike a medical assistant, a PA examines, diagnoses, and treats patients under the direct supervision of a physician. Many PAs work in primary care areas such as general internal medicine, pediatrics, and family medicine. Others work in specialty areas, such as general and thoracic surgery, emergency medicine, orthopedics, and geriatrics. Physician assistants always work with the supervision of a physician. The duties of physician assistants are determined by the supervising physician and by state law. You should investigate the laws and regulations in the states where you hope to practice. All 50 states require that new PAs complete an accredited education program. There are about 130 accredited programs in the U.S., some offering a bachelor’s, or degree option. Most PA graduates have at least a bachelor’s, and most seeking jobs have a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Many applicants are former emergency medical technicians, nurses, or other health professionals. The typical physician assistant program lasts about two years. Admission requirements usually include at least 2 years of college and some healthcare experience. Many programs end with an Associate’s Degree although some colleges offer Bachelor's and Master’s Degree programs. All physician assistant programs include extensive supervised clinical training. The U.S.
Department of Labor projects that employment of PAs is expected to grow
much faster than the average through 2014, and jobs will be plentiful
in areas that find it difficult to attract doctors such as inner city
and rural clinics. Growth is expected in primary care and to assist with
medical and surgical procedures in hospitals, public clinics, and academic
medical centers. The use of telemedicine will also increase the use of
physician assistants. Physical Therapy Assistant Physical therapy assistants work for a physical therapist and assist them by providing physical therapy procedures and related tasks. Physical therapy assistants work under the direct supervision of a therapist aiding with clinical tasks and treatment procedures such as exercises, massages, traction, hot and cold packs, and recording patient responses and outcome of treatments to the physical therapist. Nearly three-fourths of all assistants work in hospitals or physical therapist or health practitioner offices. The rest work in nursing care facilities, home healthcare services, and outpatient care centers. Assistants usually have an associate degree from an accredited physical therapist assistant program. Not all states require licensure or registration in order for the physical therapist assistant to practice. Those that do, also outline educational and examination criteria including a minimum number of hours of clinical experience. Employment
of physical therapist assistants is expected to grow much faster than
the average through 2014 due to the projected growth in the elderly population
who will require more therapeutic services. For Further Information: General Medical Careers: American
Medical Association/Health Professions Career and Education Directory, The Commission
on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), Home Health Aides: National
Association for Home Care and Hospice, (202) 547-7424, www.nahc.org Medical Assistants: American
Association of Medical Assistants, (312) 899-1500, www.aama-ntl.org Physician Assistants: American Academy of Physician Assistants, (703) 836-2272, www.aapa.org National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), (678) 417-8100, www.nccpa.net Physician’s
Assistant Education Association, (703) 548-5538, www.paeaonline.org Physical Therapist Assistants: The American Physical Therapy Association, (703) 684-APTA (2782), www.apta.org
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