According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare jobs are among the fastest-growing professions in America. The healthcare industry is constantly evolving and expanding its vast knowledge base and technology. It makes it a highly sought-after sector by college students looking for a new profession and professionals seeking a change in scenery. It’s no wonder that there are so many opportunities on offer to graduates with degrees in healthcare professions. So let’s look at some of the fastest-growing healthcare careers and where you should consider applying.
1. Home Health Aides
The home health aide is a member of the home care team. In many ways, they function in the same manner that nurses do, except that they tend to be more of a hands-on presence. Home health aides live in their patients’ homes and provide support and services daily. They also assist with household chores like grocery shopping, meal preparation, cleaning, and laundry. Most home health aides work in private residences, but nursing homes employ some assisted living facilities and hospice programs.
2. Physical Therapist Assistants
Physical therapist assistants assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy to patients. They help patients with exercises, treatment plans, and modifications and assist in executing those plans. They also record patient progress, observe patients during treatment sessions and obtain histories from them. Many of these things are done while working as part of a physical therapy team. PT assistants help provide physical therapy to patients and assist in executing their plans. Like home health aides, this career field is expected to grow faster than average due to the aging population.
3. Speech-Language Pathologists
Speech-language pathologists are experts in assessing and treating voice, speech, language, and swallowing disorders. Their job requires training, skill, and knowledge in various areas such as communication disorders, dyslexia, learning disabilities, and developmental disorders. They use their skills to intervene with those with these problems. Speech-Language pathologists help assess, diagnose, and treat those with communication disorders and other speech, language, and swallowing issues. The demand for these professionals is expected to grow by 19% over the coming decade.
4. Physical Therapists
Physical therapists are experts in physical therapy treatment plans. Their job is to help patients with movement, mobility, and function after an injury or illness. They assess a patient’s condition and develop a physical therapy treatment plan based on the assessment results—PTs work to improve a patient’s ability to function normally. Physical therapists are expected to see job growth of 13% in the upcoming decade.
Conclusion
The healthcare industry is seeing a lot of changes, and there is no slowing down anytime soon. We will continue to see the rise of new technologies and evolving medical practices to give rise to more healthcare careers.