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.

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.

The geographic statistics, also obtained from the report, provides information that can be used as an incentive for faculty to sustain reenrollment in nursing schools, said Holly Mercer, RN, JC, executive director for the Oregon State Board of Nursing. The data collected is also allowing healthcare leaders to begin developing work groups to address the areas of need or concern with finite nursing resources.

“Hospitals aren’t hiring new grads; they’re looking for experienced nurses in management and executive positions,” Mercer said. “And we need nurses in home care, public health and hospice settings.”

Hurley said the work groups composed of nurse leaders and stakeholders have been meeting since January and more and more people are showing up. Additionally, the state has been collaborating with other healthcare disciplines and as a result is being seen an example to the rest of the country. The report, which compiled data for seven licensing boards to create an overall picture of the supply of health professionals throughout Oregon, can now be used in educating policy makers.

“When I talk with state legislators, I now have facts to show them,” Mercer said. “We also know now where the shortages are.”

Hospital Dream Jobs knows where the shortages are too. If you are a nurse or other healthcare professional and live in Oregon or are willing to relocate to Oregon or Southwest Washington, HospitalDreamJobs.com is your best resource for jobs in the Portland Metro area or in small rural farming communities.

One reason you may have chosen healthcare as a career is the ever-changing pace and the idea that every day is different from the last. But even in the excitement and fast paced energy driven drama that fuels your day, the most seasoned healthcare professional should still take some time and give their career some self-assessment. You may very well be locked in for life but if there’s one thing you should know, especially in today’s economy, it is to always have a Plan B.

Hospital Dream Jobs is not only for the healthcare professional looking for work but also the one who maybe be looking for a change mid-career. Whether you’re a fresh face in the hospital or a 30-year veteran in the operating room, review these eight tips from an article on making the best of your career featured on About.com

Love your job or find a new one.

Love it or leave it certainly rings true when it comes to doing something your whole life. If you’re struggling at work or dreading every morning because you have to get up and go to work, perhaps it’s time to look elsewhere. The beauty of healthcare is there are so many different possibilities to look at if one area isn’t the right fit.

Update your Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume.

Always have a resume updated and ready to provide to anyone who asks. The last thing you want to do is spend an entire night trying to remember employment dates and job duties of the last three positions dating back 15 years.

Join a professional healthcare association.

The best way to stay on top of your profession and the latest trends and developments is to join the professional association that is specific to your role. Joining these groups also provide you with networking opportunities and job listings.

Always network.

If you’re currently looking for work then you know the best way to land your next job is to network. And if you’re currently working it always pays to know who is who in your organization and to ensure that they know who you are too.

Engage via social media.

The best social media for career advancement, which is also a form of networking and a way to keep your resume up-to-date, is to get on Linked In. It is widely known that most companies use Linked In as a way to find their next employee and if you’re not on there someone who is will get the call. See a helpful article and Linked In and Job Searching.

Identify and partner with a reputable healthcare recruiter.

Think of this as hidden networking. Good recruiters work confidentially so you can share your professional goals and they can help you find that next step in your career without jeopardizing your current one.

Evaluate your health career goals.

The healthcare industry is changing as fast as technology so to keep up you may need to assess your career goals to make sure you’re on the right path. Are your goals manageable? Do your goals make sense right now? Whatever your aspirations may be, it is important to stay focused on the career direction that makes the most sense for you.

Find a mentor or become a mentor.

If you’re new to the healthcare field, find a seasoned healthcare worker you can trust and get to know them. This counts as networking and you’ll be better off as your finagle your way around the system and make the most of your new path in life. And conversely, if you’re a seasoned healthcare worker, perhaps what you need to kick start your passion again is to take someone under your wing. Staying in touch with the newest graduates keeps your pulse on the new technology and what’s being taught in the classroom.

Whatever your career goals may be, look to Hospital Dream Jobs to find your next job in healthcare whether it’s an entry level position leading you to higher ground or a new position where you can grow more.

Tired of laboring long hours? Pulled enough hair out every time your computer crashes and loses information crucial to a patient’s care? Are promises to be at your child’s soccer game or dance recital impossible to keep?

Then you’re not alone. If a better work/life balance is something you’ve been thinking about, than you may want to look into what many of your colleagues are already doing. In fact, by 2013, it is estimated that two-thirds of physicians will be employed by a health care system. The trend of private practices being sold is gaining steam, and it is estimated the current two percent conversion rate during the last 20 years will increase to a five percent conversion from private practice in the next three years, according to the American Medical Association.

More and more physicians are seeing the appeal of having a hospital administration that relieves them from day to day administrative responsibilities, allows greater access to better information technology, helps them maintain a more manageable patient load and gives stability in uncertain economic times and in the healthcare world.

“It has gotten incredibly difficult to be a physician in practice,” said Erica Drazen, Managing Director of the Global Institute for Emerging Healthcare Practices at CSC. “A lot of these guys went into medicine because they wanted to take care of patients. Now they are taking care of paperwork half the time.” Drazen said practices need to change in order to facilitate a greater coordination of patient care.

Hospitals are pushing the trend of hiring doctors because of government controlled healthcare reform, but they also foresee a coming physician shortage and a subsequent shortage of customers, or patients! Hiring more doctors now means a well-staffed hospital and steady stream of patients in the future.

This practice may sound familiar because it is. Twenty years ago, hospitals tried owning and managing practices but found it was not as lucrative as they had hoped so they retreated. The big difference between now and the late 80s and early 90s is the interest from private practice doctors wanting to be “employed.”

Additionally, Drazen said, the impact of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) on the horizon is making hospitals a little nervous about the competition nabbing doctors and patients. “In some sense,” Drazen said. “It’s a land grab.”

Being on a hospital payroll, former private physicians now have a steady but workable stream of patients and they can focus on healthcare with state of the art facilities and equipment, rather than downed computers and overwhelming paperwork. In return, the hospitals lock in valuable physicians and can ensure the workload (patients), are there.

You may have started a career in medicine with the idea of owning your own practice where you took care of your patients, and eventually, your patient’s children and their children’s children. But in today’s world that just doesn’t happen as often. If you want stability and like the idea of being “employed” with retirement benefits, regular hours and vacation pay, then working for a hospital may just be for you. To see current job openings, please click here to see what’s available through Hospital Dream Jobs.

High unemployment and an uncertain economy have many people thinking about career opportunities and job security. Many wonder if a change of career is for them. And it is certainly clear that students in high school and college would be wise to focus their career choice on what is going to be hot.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical Assistants will be highly sought after for the next seven years or so. In fact, the job prospect for this career is considered “excellent.” There are about half a million Medical Assistants working nationwide and that number is expected to increase by 34 percent through 2018.

A Medical Assistant job is similar to that of an administrative assistant in an office environment. Medical Assistants handle administrative and clinical duties and typically report to an office manager or directly to the physician, depending on the size of the practice. Medical Assistants who assist clinically can expect to take medical histories of patients and record vital signs like blood pressure, heart rate and pulse. Other tasks might include explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for exams and even assisting the physician during exams, among other things.

Most Medical Assistant jobs are located in a doctor’s office but other opportunities can be found in hospitals, clinics and ambulatory care centers. There is a great deal of time spent with the general public, some who may be sick with any number of issues. A Medical Assistant needs a lot of patience, a caring attitude and a big heart.

One benefit of a Medical Assistant career is you don’t necessarily need a college degree. While most only need to complete a one or two year program, some Medical Assistants are trained on the job. However, with the competition for these jobs increasing, having certifications or a degree is preferred by many employers and will get you noticed over someone without these credentials. Additionally, most doctor offices prefer a certified assistant.

The ideal Medical Assistant will have completed a postsecondary program that lasts for a year, which results in a certificate or diploma, or two years which gives the student an associate’s degree. Courses covered include anatomy, physiology and medical terminology. For a list of accredited schools, visit www.medicalassistantnow.com/schools.

According to medicalassistantnow.com, there are two well-respected certifications available for medical assistants. The CMA is a Certified Medical Assistant, which is offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) and the other is RMA, which is Registered Medical Assistant from American Technologists agency (AMT).

If you are interested in a career as a Medical Assistant the work will be challenging but highly rewarding as you assist people with their healthcare! You will definitely see the fruits of your labor in your patient’s smiles and will be an irreplaceable member of a healthcare team. To view current listings for this type of position use our job search engine and search for listings under Allied Health: Medical Assistant Staff.

It’s hard to put a price tag on ethics and very few of us can tout degrees on the subject, but we know it’s important to be “ethical” and we want to be seen as such by our employers or prospective employers. We know they notice and appreciate employees who demonstrate the ability to make good choices even in tough situations.

Yet it is increasingly difficult to define ethics, especially for healthcare professionals, when what is considered “the right thing” may be different depending on who you talk to – patients, peers, hospitals, clinics. But here are a few descriptors most would agree on: Honesty, integrity, carefulness, confidentiality, respect, non-discrimination, competence, legality and patient protection.

Most of us think these are no-brainers. We were raised on the “Golden Rule”, right? But start scanning healthcare headlines – the not so pretty ones – and ask yourself, “What would I do in that situation?” What at first glance may seem simple gets more complex when you put yourself in someone else’s shoes. For all that I was taught growing up and all that I believe, I’m not sure I would do right by everyone, including myself, if something unusual and unforeseen occurred.

That’s why I’m so impressed with the American Nursing Association’s continuing efforts to promote workplace ethics for. If you haven’t yet attended one of their ethics conferences, consider this the year. Enrollment is still open for the 2011 National Nursing Ethics Conference March 24-25 in Universal City, California.

The conference is open to Clinical Nurses, Nurse Administrators and Managers, Nurse Educators, Advanced Practice Nurses and Social Workers. While the definition of ethics could be debated forever there is a Code of Ethics for Nursing and this conference will give you a chance to review, discuss and dissect it with your peers. According to the American Nurses Association you will also “gain valuable information on how to balance your values and the values of the profession with appropriate goals of care, limited resources and professional responsibility and advocacy.”

There are 6 clearly defined topics/objectives that will be covered at the conference including advocacy, leadership practices and ways to incorporate self-care strategies. I very much appreciate that last one as it is very easy to neglect one-self when trying to do right by others.

This should be an intriguing and informative event that will add to your tool belt as you strive to be a valuable asset to your employer while being true to your morals, values and beliefs.

Planning to attend? Attended in the past? Tell us more in the comments section below.

One of the challenges of pursuing a medical career is having to choose a specialty. But it must be done. Or must it? One opportunity exists for nurses yet to determine their area of practice: Float Nursing. A Float Nurse, also known as a Float Pool Nurse or Contingent Nurse, is employed by a hospital or healthcare network to provide support as needed when workloads are unusually heavy or a nurse is absent. Like temping or substitute teaching, you don’t always know where you’ll be sent next. It could be ER, ICU, Labor and Delivery, Surgical and more.

For some, this would be a nightmare, but as someone who temped for many years, for me it would be the perfect route. When I was younger, before I knew what I wanted to be “when I grew up,” I enjoyed temping. I liked the flexibility, the challenge of change, continually meeting new people and the impressive set of career tools under my belt thanks to working in a wide range of situations. And eventually I was able identify my ideal career. 

Now don’t get me wrong. Float Nursing is not necessarily for the gypsy who can’t make a decision and commit! I recently read about a Float Nurse who worked for several years each in Neuro, Cardiac and Intensive Care before choosing to float. And she absolutely loves it. Another reason some people choose to float is to be able to establish a better work-life balance than is sometimes possible in a traditional nursing role.

I wasn’t aware until recently how prevalent floaters are, but it certainly makes sense to have them in place. No patient wants to be in a short-staffed hospital! Thinking back on the birth of one of my children, one of the maternity nurses wasn’t a “maternity” nurse at all, but a floater. But you wouldn’t have known it which is just as it should be. Nurses have to be knowledgeable, compassionate, organized, able to work long hours on one’s feet, and more.

For a Float Nurse, add to that list the ability to be highly adaptable, to step into someone else’s shoes without a moment’s hesitation and provide top quality medical support and patient care. Fortunately, Float Nurses are considered valuable members of the healthcare team, enjoying some of the same benefits as the regular staff nurses including continuing education and certification opportunities.

So if you’re undecided on a specialty area or simply desire the challenges and benefits, Float Nursing may be for you. Check it out!