It’s been touched on before but the news keeps coming – not only is the health care field one of the most dominant sources of new jobs but the industry’s move to digital records is fueling a growth in information technology jobs that is almost unmatched in any other sector.

An article on azcentral.com (the website for the Arizona Republic newspaper) states that the Department of Labor expects the health care field to add 50,000 jobs to help with the conversion to digital medical records. States are implementing electronic health information exchanges that allow doctors to share information seamlessly. The federal government is also helping by providing $116 million in workforce training grants to community colleges and graduate-level programs.

Hospitals in Arizona have already begun the process of conversion and are boasting bigger health care IT staffs. The current trend appears to be that larger practices are hiring their own IT workers and smaller and medium-sized practices are relying on consultants or software vendors. And what’s more, many of the IT workers are current health care force employees.

GateWay Community College in Phoenix, which benefitted from a federal grant to help students cover tuition costs, has enrolled 225 students in six certificate programs through the Management of Clinical Information Technology program. They include:

• Consulting
• Implementation Support
• Technical Support
• Technology Training
• Implementation Management
• Workflow/Management Redesign

Heidi Hutchins, director of the Management of Clinical Information Technology program at GateWay said the program initially was filled with laid-off IT workers at the height of the recession. But now, most of the students are current health care workers who are adding to their skill set, looking for a promotion or even a new job.

“Most of the high-skilled IT folks have found other jobs,” Hutchins said. “A lot of the folks we are seeing are working in health care.”

Banner Health, Arizona’s largest hospital system, has hired about 60 IT workers over the past year with some coming from outside the company and others within the company who were clinical workers looking to get into the IT field. Banner has seen nurses, physical therapists and other clinical workers converting to IT jobs. And, current health care workers seem to respond better to a former clinical worker who is trained in IT because they know medical language and understand how doctors and nurses do their jobs.

“IT people have changed over time,” said Tina Angle, a recruiter for Banner Health. “They are almost sales people. They really have to interact with physicians and the clinical aside of the house.”

Stay tuned to HosiptalDreamJobs.com for all the latest health care job postings whether it’s in IT or on the clinical side of care. Results of a recent survey taken by thousands of job seekers put HospitalDreamJobs in the top 30 of among 150,000 job boards and social media sites, according to The Leader Board.

HospitalDreamJobs.com has previously highlighted the current strong demand for health care related jobs and the continued growth expected for several more years. This is good news for those already in the field looking to advance their careers but also for anyone hoping to change careers or for students with eyes on a healthcare-related degree.

For many people, making time to attend classes at a college prohibits them from getting an advanced degree from a reputable college. In today’s world, online courses are not only becoming the norm but also widely regarded and respected. However, with the plethora of online programs available it can be easy to choose the wrong one and end up with a “degree” that will get you nowhere in your pursuit of a career in healthcare.

TopMastersinHealthcare.com recently compiled a list of what it saw as the Top 10 best online Master’s in Health Administration programs available for 2012. Each college is considered to provide a strong and marketable MHA degree that will provide you with the best opportunity for an administrative career in the health care field. The following are the best online schools to get an MHA degree:

1. University of North Carolina
2. George Washington University
3. St. Joseph’s University
4. Ohio University
5. Grand Canyon University
6. University of Phoenix
7. Capella University
8. Colorado Technical University
9. Marylhurst University
10. Ashford University

Click here to read more about each university, the tuition and what helps each to stand out from the rest.

If you are a nurse or a nursing student looking to further your education past a bachelor’s there are a number of online masters programs in nursing. BestNursingMasters.com compiled what it felt were the top 10 online masters programs in the country.

1. Ball State University
2. Benedictine University
3. Drexel University
4. Georgetown University
5. Gonzaga University
6. Jacksonville University
7. Johns Hopkins’ School of Nursing
8. Loyola University
9. Saint Xavier
10. University of Cincinnati

Click here to read about each university, the tuition and other features that make these institutions stand out from the rest.

Once you are armed with your degree, check with HospitalDreamJobs.com for the best available careers in hospital health administration, nursing or any job in the health care industry. HospitalDreamJobs.com is updated weekly and compiles all the available health care jobs nationwide onto one website.

Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the start of a new program designed to give up to 10,000 Medicare patients with chronic conditions the ability to receive most of their primary care at home.

The idea behind the program is to bring back the old practice of house calls but with a modern day approach using today’s technology and team-based approach, said CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner, RN, BSN, MHA. The new program, Independence at Home, significantly expands the scope of in-home services Medicare beneficiaries can receive.

The program not only helps the patient but it will also bring new avenues to care for medical practices nationwide. CMS will join with medical practices to test the effectiveness of delivering primary care services in a home setting to see if it improves care for Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions. The program will also test whether home-based care can reduce the need for hospitalization, improve patient and caregiver satisfaction and lead to better health and lower costs to Medicare.

“In my days as a practicing nurse, I saw many patients whose health improved when they were happier with their living conditions,” Tavenner said. “When a critically ill patient can remain in familiar surroundings, the benefits are many: The person retains greater control over their daily lives, families and caregivers report greater satisfaction with the care and unnecessary hospitalizations are avoided.”

Home-based primary care generally allows health care providers to spend more time with their patients, perform assessments in a patient’s home environment and assume greater accountability for all aspects of the patient’s care. Independence at Home will build on these existing benefits by providing chronically ill patients a complete range of primary care services in the home setting.

Have you had experience in Home-Based Care? Medical practices wishing to participate must have in their employment physicians or nurse practitioners with experience in delivering home-based primary care. As many as 50 practices will be selected and each must serve at least 200 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions and functional limitations. Practices chosen to participate will be responsible for coordinating patient care with other health and social service professionals.

Medical practices chosen for the program that show a reduction in Medicare expenditures and succeed in providing high-quality care will receive an incentive payment. CMS will use quality measures to ensure that beneficiaries receive high quality care. Practices interested in joining the Independence at Home program can get more information by clicking here. Applications and letters of intent are due Feb. 6.

One reason why the healthcare field is so popular is because of all the different directions a healthcare career can go. You can be on the floor working directly with patients or behind the scenes ensuring the necessary processes are finely tuned and working. But the variety of jobs can also pose a dilemma if you are not clear in what you want.

A recent article on a job searching site raises a common issue that prevents the very qualified from getting their dream job. The problem? No defined objective. If your resume has an objective that is too broad or unclear, even though your education and experience may prove you to be a smashing candidate, you will be overlooked for someone who knows what he or she wants. The key to getting that interview is for a hiring manager to see a clearly defined job target along with the education and experience that support your objective.

But for many people especially those who are looking to simply get their foot in the door at a hospital or clinic, they are not exactly sure what they want. Here are three key strategies you can employ to ensure that your resume doesn’t doom you to the bottom of the pile.

1. Create an Inventory Resume

An inventory resume highlights your key areas of skill and accomplishment but doesn’t target a specific job or industry. This approach is the preferred method if you plan on sending your resume to a number of potential employers but you are not sure what openings are available. The best inventory resumes lead with a career summary that demonstrates your most marketable job skills. Avoid the common mistake of creating a general, one-size fits all objective section and using phrases like “looking for a challenging opportunity.” Show your diverse capabilities instead.

2. Develop Multiple Resume Versions

Perhaps you are a little more focused than most but are open to several different directions rather than just one or two paths. In this case, you should create several versions of your resume that target the different routes you’re willing to take. This is easily done by changing the content of your summary section by emphasizing key points for the specific goal you are pursuing. For example, if you are a nurse and are open to working in several areas of nursing that you are qualified for, then customize your resume to focus on the matching qualifications for each job.

3. Focus Your Resume

The most obvious conclusion is of course to determine a career direction. Hospital Dream Jobs can help you with that goal. Job hunting takes time and if you put in the time the better chances you have of finding the best career for you. Hospital Dream Jobs is the best source for healthcare careers and if you take time each day to review the job postings and focus on those that closely match your skillset and are most interesting to you then you can develop a targeted resume that clearly states your goals and most relevant qualifications.

Select nursing students at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston are getting a first crack at what it’s like to be a nurse – while still in school.

The school implemented the Pacesetters program a year ago which is a redesign of its four-semester Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The Pacesetters track gives students their in-classroom work along with an opportunity to work a full-time clinical rotation schedule over 16 weeks during their final semester at school.  To be admitted into the program applicants must complete 60 hours of prerequisite work.

Katherine McKay, one of 50 students accepted into the first group of Pacesetters last year, is in the final semester of the program. She and other students feel they have received an enhanced perspective of what it takes to work as a full-time nurse.

“I selected the Pacesetters program because when it was presented to us, the more focused and steady route seemed to fit my work habits and personality a lot better,” McKay said.

A task force chaired by Cathy Rozmus, D.S.N., R.N., the UTHealth School of Nursing associate dean for academic affairs, developed the Pacesetters concept. “Our goal was to create an educational experience that will get the student living the life of a nurse while still in nursing school and help develop the strong critical thinking skills demanded by a clinical workplace,” she said.

Rozmus and Pacesetters director Stephanie Meyers, Ph.D., R.N., have been observing and assessing the Pacesetters students in order to evaluate their growth compared to the traditional nursing track. So far, feedback indicates the students are pleased with their choice and feel prepared. Rozmus and Meyers will continue their evaluation of the students after graduation.

“We have noticed that Pacesetters students have been very supportive of each other and want everyone to be successful,” Meyers said.

Pacesetters has partnered with the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System which has allowed students to experience 12-hour work shifts, continuity of care with patients and become acquainted with the hospital’s system of care. Students have also had a chance to work in a variety of nursing settings like local schools and community sites, and obstetric, acute and pediatric nursing units.

Kathryn Lito, a student in the program, said Pacesetters has given her a better idea of the direction she’d like to focus her career. In a typical nursing track, students may not be exposed to the continuity-of-care experience and only get brief and limited contact with a hospital’s system of care.

“I’ve been able to connect with patients and follow them throughout the course of their treatment because we work three rotation shifts in a week,” Lito said. “The traditional student may not have the opportunity to see the same patient each shift of their rotation since it may be on a weekly basis.”

The Pacesetters program also place clinical preceptors within each unit who serve more or less as mentors to the students by addressing concerns or questions students may have during their shift. Rozmus said she hopes the intense clinical experience in the Pacesetters tracks produces a more “job-ready” graduate.

Visit HospitalDreamJobs.com weekly for all the latest healthcare news, trends and insight as well as complete and up-to-date job postings in all areas of the medical field.

It’s no secret that job growth in the health care sector is outpacing other industries, It’s one of the nation’s’ top job generator, but it’s also one of the few major industries that is producing new jobs. During the past 12 months, health care created 20 percent of all new jobs.

But the job growth isn’t in the operating room as much as it is in the areas of clerking/office and administration.

According to an article on USAToday.com,  the boon in non-patient care health careers is coming on the heels of a general restructuring of the health care industry that includes changes mandated by the 2010 federal health care law, the 2009 federal stimulus funding, new government regulations and the increase in information technology.

Cutbacks in Medicaid and other programs that affect hospital budgets are clearly not hurting the industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there has been a net gain of 95,000 hospital jobs so far this year – 13,000 of them in September and 6,600 in October. Of the 80,000 net new U.S jobs created in October, 12,000 of them were in health care. Hospitals, doctor’s offices, clinics, labs, home health care agencies and nursing homes are all creating net new jobs.

“We need to deal with new technology, new services, new regulations, electronic health records, and government reporting requirements on quality,” said Mark Witney, vice president for strategy for Exeter Health Resources, which recently laid off 110 nurses and caregivers but is hiring administrative workers. “A lot of this is related to the new federal health law.”

The competition for patients heats up in 2014 when hospitals will be inundated with tens of millions of now-uninsured patients the federal law will make eligible for health coverage. While Exeter is cutting nurse positions, the company is looking for billing specialists, information technology experts and program experts. Job listings at hospitals nationwide show the same trend.

The hiring trend in health care is similar to the one seen in Massachusetts after that state’s health law was signed by former Gov. Mitt Romney. Health care jobs in Massachusetts grew by 9.5 percent between 2005 and 2010, almost twice as fast as the U.S. as a whole and all driven by administrative jobs.

“Most of it was from enrolling patients who were previously uninsured,” said Douglas Staiger, an economist at Dartmouth College who co-authored a study on job growth in Massachusetts.

The Alameda County Medical Center in Oakland, for example, is using federal funding to deploy a major new electronic health record system. That hospital’s biggest need is people in IT. Overall, health care is under-computerized compared to other industries but it is impossible to determine how many health IT jobs are being created – the Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t count those jobs specifically.

But for workers like Allie Woods, 29, who works at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, she didn’t even have to look for a job. Woods had several offers more than a year before she graduated from her pharmaceutical residency in June with advanced training in “informatics.” Today, she customizes computer programs to prevent adverse drug interactions and identify patient drug trouble spots before they occur.

If your dream job is in health care, Hospital Dream Jobs has everything you need to find the right health care job for you, whether it’s in the operating room, emergency room or even the IT room.

There is perhaps nothing nobler than serving your country. And for many of the men and women of the armed forces that nobility stretches even further when they combine it with a healthcare career. Navy nurses work in some of the most dynamic environments while helping the men and women fighting for our freedom and their families.

A Navy nurse career provides unrivaled experience and skills that are transferable anywhere allowing you to choose from the best nursing jobs available in civilian life. Additionally, the Navy offers excellent scholarship opportunities so spending years paying off your debts from graduate school won’t be a factor in your decision to pursue a healthcare career.

Navy nurses get ample opportunity to focus their career on a variety of nursing specialties including:

• Critical Care
• Education
• Emergency Trauma
• Manpower System Analysis
• Maternal/Infant
• Medical/Surgical
• Neonatal Intensive Care
• Nurse Anesthetist
• Nurse Midwife
• Nurse Practitioner
  • Family
  • Pediatric
  • Psychiatric
  • Women’s Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Perioperative
  • Psychiatric
  • Public Health
  • Research
  • Training Management

Navy nurses also see the world. There are more than 250 Navy and medical facilities around the world including places like Japan, Germany, Guam and of course the United States. You may be called to work at one of the National Naval Medical Centers in Bethesda, Maryland, Portsmouth, Virginia and San Diego, California or provide medical support to deployed troops aboard one of two dedicated hospital ships: The USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy.

If choosing the Navy to kick start your career in nursing looks viable there are additional perks worth considering. The Navy covers up to $180,000 of your education and students have no military/training obligation until after graduation. Current nursing students who qualify for the Nurse Candidate Program get an initial grant of $10,000 plus a stipend of $1,000 per month for up to two years.

Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 41, pass a full medical exam and be willing to serve a minimum of three years active duty among other requirements. Click here for more information on how to be a nurse in the Navy.

A drop of blood is enough to make some people queasy and for many like this the idea of a health care career is not even an option. So the caring among us who need to be on the front lines of patient care with warm hearts and empathetic natures are nowhere to be found. The fact is there are a number of health care related careers that have nothing to do with what’s traditionally thought of as health care and Hospital Dream Jobs is your source to find them.

An article on Schools.com outlines four health care related fields that don’t require a smock, cap and surgical gloves. In fact, experts suggest if you are thinking of a medical career that you do a trial run with some established health care organizations, like volunteering with your local ambulance contractors to see how you handle the stress and trauma. If you’re running for the hills after an hour in an ambulance you don’t necessarily have to scratch a career in health care, but you may want to look at these professions:

Personal or Home Health Care Aide

Certified home aids visit clients’ homes and help the elderly, sick and even those injured on the job. Health care aides provide company, do housework and shopping, drive clients to appointments and even help with personal care. A two-week course to earn national certification from the National Association for Home Care and Hospice is all that’s needed to get started. Projected job growth by 2018 is 51 percent.

Pharmacist

Pharmacists are considered an active part of a patient’s health care team especially now with new medications being developed every day. Pharmacists work at hospitals, clinics, commercial drug stores and even your local grocery store that has a pharmacy.  The primary job of a pharmacist is to dispense prescribed medication, create compounds as directed by physicians and monitor their patients’ prescriptions for possible negative interactions.  This position requires a Doctor of Pharmacy degree which takes a minimum of six years to complete. Projected job growth by 2018 is 22 percent.

Medical and Health Services Manager

This supporting role rarely deals with patients and are never involved with their health concerns. Instead, medical and health services managers, also called health care executives or health care administrators, supervise the delivery of medical care. These positions can cover specializations by department or even a whole organization. A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is essential but a master’s in public administration, health sciences, public health, etc. is preferred. Projected job growth by 2018 is 16 percent.

Physical Therapist

This position is much more patient-centered but does not involve the gut-wrenching trauma you’d typically see inside a hospital. Physical therapists help rehabilitate people from injuries, surgery and even strokes which have affected their ability to move and perform everyday tasks. There are more than 200 physical-therapist training programs nationwide which are typically 24 to 30 month programs. Projected job growth by 2018 is 30 percent.

If you’re looking into a healthcare career then you’ve come to the right place. Hospital Dream Jobs is your source for the latest news and trends affecting the healthcare industry and we also periodically give you tips and insight into finding that perfect job. If you’re in the process of going to school or looking into a career change and wondering whether a job in healthcare is right for you, it’s always best to make a list of pros and cons and ask yourself the right questions.

In an article posted on explorehealthcareers.org, six questions are posted which we think, based on your answers, are good indicators of whether you should continue your pursuit of being a doctor, nurse, physician’s assistant or whatever health career you may be looking into. Check them out below.

1. Do you like to deal with people?

In some sectors, it’s all about people. Nurses, pediatricians and occupational therapists need to have what is commonly referred to as a “warm bedside manner.” If interacting daily with people, and sometimes very sick people, does not appeal to you, a career in healthcare isn’t over, you just might prefer being in the medical lab, working in pathology or even medical illustration.

1. Are you comfortable with science?

If high school chemistry was more or less a foreign language that you barely escaped with a C-, then perhaps taking college level courses of the same fare is not the best idea. Most health careers require you to be a strong science student and some require intensive work in chemistry, physics and biology, just to name a few.

1. Are you prepared to keep up with developments in your field?

Getting a diploma doesn’t mean that your education and studies are over. Most health professionals need continuing education credits and to really stay up on the fast paced changes in the medical world, you’ll need to study and learn throughout your whole career.

1. Are you comfortable in a health care setting?

If you have your sights set on working in a hospital or doctor’s office, then you’ll need to be prepared to deal with sick and dying people. If dealing with patients is not your thing, then you might want to turn your attention to pharmacies, laboratories, and medical libraries just to name a few.

1. Are you a team player?

Successful patient care requires a team working and communicating together. If you prefer working alone or don’t like being managed or managing then you might have difficulty finding your niche in healthcare.

1. What lifestyle do you envision?

If you thrive on long days and high stress, life and death decisions, then a career in the emergency room might be for you. If you’d rather have set hours with a work life balance, there are other careers in healthcare that will suit you. Carefully study the hours and demands of whatever position you are looking into, if it’s something you might have a hard time embracing then perhaps your focus should fit more with what you can live with.

And whatever career you decide on, always check out Hospital Dream Jobs for that dream career in whatever health profession you choose.

Social Networking is certainly the current and perhaps best way to land your next job or inquire about new careers. To capitalize on this current trend, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) has launched GoDental. a new interactive multimedia web resource to enhance the dental education experience.

Interested in a Dental career? GoDental’s mission is to help students navigate their way through the experience of becoming a dentist by providing information directly from dental professionals. GoDental goes straight to the source in finding the latest and greatest trends and information on the world of dentistry through interactive media including:

• DentNetworks – an interactive forum that allows students to engage with peers, dental students and others about applying to dental school, what it means to be a dental student and what a career in dentistry offers.
• Blogistry – which allows GoDental members to read and comment about current news and issues affecting the dental community. Blogs, written by dental professionals and students, cover everything from tips on applying to dental school and how to finance a dental education to perspectives on current news and viewpoints.
• DenTube – an online channel with videos on current events, what dental school is like and tips for successfully completing an application to dental school.

There is even a section for future students, whether in high school or college, that provides information and resources on career options, preparing for dental school and even dental school curriculum.

“ADEA is excited to offer students, prospective students, residents and fellows the opportunity to come together under an inventive combination of multimedia, forums and community development,” said ADEA President Leo E. Rouse, D.D.S.

GoDental membership is free and members can even follow GoDental on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Go to www.godental.org for more information and to sign up.

The American Dental Education Association is the voice of dental education. Its members include all U.S. and Canadian dental schools and many allied and postdoctoral dental education programs, corporations, faculty, and students. The mission of ADEA is to lead individuals and institutions of the dental education community to address contemporary issues influencing education, research, and the delivery of oral health care for the health of the public.

Hospital Dream Jobs provides not only resources to your next job in health care but also news and insight on today’s latest trends and the information you need to get your career started.