It's an excellent area for people who want to learn a rewarding profession. Aside from registered nurses, the health care occupations projected to grow fastest by 2008 are jobs many of us have never heard of. These include certified nurse aides, physician assistants, medical assistants, respiratory therapists, dental assistants and hygienists, paramedics, pharmacy technicians, nuclear medicine and surgical technologists, health information technicians, and many others. Collectively known as allied health professions, people in these occupations are in high demand across the country as institutions struggle to provide high-quality, affordable health care to a growing and aging population. Health care is not cyclical.
Demand keeps growing.
An aging workforce, declining enrollment in nursing schools, and increasing market demand have resulted in a shortage of nurses across the country. In addition, efforts by managed care organizations to control costs by decreasing nursing staff resulted instead in lower patient satisfaction and increased medical errors. Nursing students must graduate from a nursing program and pass a national licensure exam to obtain a nursing license. Nurses may have an associate degree or Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. Many clinics in areas where physicians are in short supply are increasingly staffed by advanced practice nurses or nurse practitioners.