As a healthcare professional, you have many different roles available to you. Each one impacts the lives of others in a different way, but they all require dedication and passion. To help guide you on your career path, here are some of the most common types of healthcare roles:
Registered nurse
A registered nurse (RN) is a healthcare professional who has graduated from an accredited nursing program and is licensed to provide medical care. RNs work in hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities.
Registered nurses perform physical exams on patients, take their vital signs (blood pressure, temperature), administer medications and give advice about diet, exercise and smoking cessation as part of comprehensive patient care. RNs also educate patients about their conditions, teach them how to manage their symptoms at home and monitor the effectiveness of these plans. They may also refer patients to specialists within the hospital or clinic setting—or even elsewhere if needed—to ensure that they receive appropriate treatment for their condition.
Healthcare Assistant
What is a Healthcare Assistant?
A healthcare assistant (HCA) is a person employed by a variety of employers to assist staff in providing care and support to patients. They work in hospitals, mental health units, community settings and private care homes. HCAs usually have no formal qualifications but complete an initial training course before beginning their career. Some HCAs may then go on to complete further training so that they can perform more complex duties such as medication administration or wound dressing.
Care home Manager,
Healthcare managers have roles in a variety of industries, including:
- Hospitals
- Outpatient clinics
- Long-term care facilities (such as nursing homes)
- Home health agencies Most healthcare managers have an undergraduate degree that includes business administration and public health. A master’s degree in healthcare administration is highly recommended for those who want to move up into management positions. The average salary for a hospital manager is $95,000 per year.
Area Coordinator
An area coordinator is a healthcare professional who works in a community setting. Area coordinators are responsible for coordinating care for patients who live in their area. They ensure that all patients receive the best treatment and help people access services when they need them. They also work with other professionals in the health service to make sure that everyone gets the care they need, whether it’s from A&E staff or GPs.
Area coordinators have to be able to provide advice on how best to meet people’s needs and make sure that everyone has access to appropriate treatment at home or while they’re staying at the hospital, as well as ensure the overall quality of care given by their team.
HR Roles
As a healthcare worker, you may be interested in pursuing a career in human resources (HR). HR is an important part of any organization and there are many roles that involve HR. Some examples include recruitment, training and development, performance management and employee relations.
A career in human resource can be challenging but rewarding. In this section, we will look at some of the steps towards becoming an HR professional and what it could mean for your future career.
There are many different roles in healthcare and some may not even be what you think.
There are many different roles in healthcare and some may not even be what you think. So where do you start?
If you’re thinking about joining the NHS as a health care assistant or nurse, there are lots of things to think about before making your decision. What kind of job do you want? What kind of work do you want to do? Do you want to work in a hospital, GP surgery, care home or directly in people’s homes? Or are you looking to work in day-to-day care behind the scenes or both?
Clinical role or non-clinical role?
What do you want to be doing?
There are many different roles in healthcare, some that require a clinical degree and some that don’t. If you are interested in being hands-on with your patients then nurse, medicine or physiotherapy could be the perfect role for you. If on the other hand, you don’t want to deal with patients directly but would rather work behind the scenes, then HR or IT may be more suitable roles for you.
Do you want to work with children or adults?
For people who enjoy working with children, a job in child care or paediatrics can be very rewarding. Working with kids can be challenging, but it’s also important to remember that children are simply developing and learning how to interact with the world around them. As such, they will require patience from their caregivers as they learn new skills and concepts. In order for these caregivers to maintain a healthy balance of patience and discipline, it is crucial that they have an understanding of child development and psychology.
Do you want to work in a hospital, GP surgery, care home or directly in people’s homes?
In the healthcare industry, many roles are available. Depending on your skills and interests, you may find yourself working in a hospital or GP surgery, or directly in people’s homes. Some of these roles include:
- Nurses
- Doctors
- Mental health workers (psychologists)
- Sports therapists
Do you want to work in day-to-day care, behind the scenes or both?
In healthcare, there are two main areas of focus: day-to-day care and behind the scenes. We’ll go into more detail about each role in a bit, but for now, let’s look at some of the key differences between them.
- Day-to-day care – This is when you interact directly with patients during their hospital stay or treatment. You’ll be providing support as they recover from injury or illness and can include anything from taking blood pressure readings to helping patients bathe themselves after surgery.
- Behind the scenes – This refers to jobs that take place away from direct patient contact but still play an important role in keeping everything running smoothly at a hospital or clinic. Examples include administrative assistants who help schedule appointments for doctors; nurses’ assistants who clean rooms and answer phones for doctors; medical transcriptionists who type up audio recordings provided by healthcare providers so they can be read back by patients later on; receptionists who greet people when they come into a facility’s office space (if it has one).
Do you want to be able to take your skills abroad?
If you want to work abroad, you need to be able to speak another language. For example, if you’re a nurse, you will need to be registered with a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
A good way of finding out what jobs are available in other countries is by searching for job websites that allow you to search for work abroad. Some agencies also provide information about jobs overseas and offer advice on applying for them.
How much contact do you want with patients and service users?
There are many types of contact that you can have with patients and service users.
- The least amount of contact is when you don’t see any patients or service users at all. This might be because you work in an office or department, such as finance or HR, where no direct interaction is required with patients or service users.
- The next level is seeing a patient occasionally but not having frequent conversations with them. This can be through telephone calls, letters (e.g., hospital discharge letters), emails and text messages instead of face-to-face discussions with them.
- Some roles involve regular face-to-face interactions with patients/service users throughout their journey through healthcare services (e.g., nurses). For example, if someone has been admitted to the hospital for surgery then it’s likely that several different healthcare professionals will see them during this time—from doctors and therapists during consultations to cleaners who may clean their rooms daily!
What kind of atmosphere would you like to work in? (Do you want somewhere fast-paced and busy or quieter?)
After you know what type of job you want, it’s time to think about the atmosphere in which that job will be performed.
- Do you want somewhere fast-paced and busy? If so, there are many options for you: a hospital, GP surgery or care home may be perfect for this kind of person. These roles are very busy and will keep your mind active as well as your body!
- Do you want somewhere quieter? Then working directly with people in their homes could be right up your street.
What level of qualifications and/or experience do you have already and what do you need to get where you want to be?
- Do you need a degree or diploma? If so, in what area?
- Are there any professional bodies that require registration to work in your area of interest? If so, do you meet the requirements for membership?
- What specific qualifications do you need for the job role you have chosen (if any)? Can these be gained through further study or by taking courses offered by local colleges and training providers?
- How much experience do they require – perhaps they are happy with an intern who is willing to learn rather than someone with long years of experience under their belt but little drive and passion.
There are many different types of jobs available.
There are many different types of jobs available. Some may not be what you think they are, which can make it difficult to decide if this is the right career choice for you. For example, some people think that working as a nurse is all about helping people with their health problems and caring for them in hospital or GP surgery. However, there are also nurses who work outside of healthcare settings such as in children’s centres or schools where they promote healthy lifestyles and prevent illness through education programmes.
If your dream job involves working with children rather than adults then perhaps consider becoming an Early Years Practitioner or School Nurse. These roles often offer flexible hours which means that if you want to work part-time so that you can spend more time with family then this may be a great option for you!
If you’re interested in working in healthcare, there are many different roles that require different skills and experiences. However, there is something for everyone! The important thing is to think about what kind of job you want before applying for any position so that you can find the right fit for yourself.
Get in touch with our team at Cucumber to find more roles in healthcare.
