Every industry has its perks, but they won’t all gratify you as a person. Your work should reflect your aptitudes and what motivates you. The healthcare field is particularly popular because it appeals to a broad range of interests. Careers in medical assisting and vocational nursing are both personally and practically rewarding.
Why Do People Choose the Healthcare Field?
Some people fall into their careers, the doors were open to opportunity, and they walked right in. Others struggle to find their place among dozens of different industries with unique pros and cons.
No jobs are perfect, but some are a better fit for your lifestyle and abilities. While the healthcare field mostly attracts compassion-driven people with a passion for wellness and science, they stay for the benefits that go well beyond personal fulfillment.
What Are the Benefits of a Healthcare Career?
There are many benefits to a healthcare career. They include:
Fast and Accessible Training
Getting a job in some industries is tough without a college degree, but you can break into the healthcare field in less than a year with a vocational school diploma. The admission process is straightforward and less competitive than it is for universities. Waitlists are rare.
Medical assisting and practical nursing programs are comprehensive but quick because they’re skill focused. You won’t waste time on general electives that don’t contribute to your expertise as a healthcare professional.
Ideal for beginners, the curriculum covers everything you need to know to succeed as a vocational nurse or a medical assistant. Few careers this meaningful are so quick to train for.
Job Security
US demographics are evolving, the aging population needs healthcare. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects strong demand for vocational nurses (6%) and 16% for medical assistants through 2032.
As other industries fade, the medical field remains vibrant and growing. The training you receive as a nurse or medical assistant is relevant both today and long into the future.
A Favorable Work-Life Balance
Healthcare is a 24/7 field, but most jobs offer flexible schedules and plenty of time off. When you work depends on which role you choose.
Vocational nurses are needed for day, evening, and night shifts, so you can pick the schedule that works best for you. And most LVNs work some weekends and holidays in exchange for days off during the week. It’s a schedule that works well for some people.
Conversely, most medical assistants work the day shift Monday through Friday. There are exceptions, but many medical assistants choose the field because of the stable hours.
However, whether you’re working as a vocational nurse or a medical assistant, the healthcare field offers both full and part-time positions. You can have a life and a good career.
Never a Dull Moment
Some careers are predictable enough to be boring. Slow-paced, they rarely inspire creativity. But in medicine, there’s never a dull moment. Without being overwhelming, there’s always a challenge ahead. You won’t catch yourself watching the clock just waiting for the day to end.
A Team-Oriented Environment
You’ll feel like a small fish in a big pond working in some industries. However, in the healthcare field, someone always has your back. Working together is a must to achieve the best outcomes, so there’s a rare camaraderie among team members that’s hard to find anywhere else.
You’ll be valued as an individual for the skills you bring to the table yet supported by colleagues and management when the going gets tough. If you’re a team player, you’ll thrive in a healthcare setting.
A Great Feeling
Some people work for decades without knowing if what they do has an impact. In healthcare, you’ll be a positive influence in people’s lives every day.
As a vocational nurse or medical assistant, physically and emotionally vulnerable people from all walks of life will depend on you for care. It’s hard work, and the emotional rollercoaster is challenging.
You’ll laugh and cry as patients get worse or better, holding their hands or patting them on the back. But through the ups and downs, you’ll be a positive influence in their lives.
Workplace Diversity
Working in healthcare, you’ll meet people from around the world with different thoughts and experiences to share. It’s a fun and exciting way to explore diverse cultures and traditions.
Growth Opportunities
After working your way up the career ladder in some professions, opportunities for further growth are limited. But in the healthcare industry, there’s always room for advancement through experience and continuing education.
With a few more semesters of schooling, LVNs can become RNs. Medical assistants can become office managers or clinical team leaders with on-the-job experience. They can also make a lateral move just by specializing. A medical assistant can easily move from general practice to cardiology or geriatrics with one of several certificates. You’ll never feel stuck in your career.
Professional Support
Most fields lack professional organizations for all but their highest credentialed workers. But in healthcare, both medical assistants and vocational nurses have a support system. Nurses have the American Nurses Association (ANA). Medical assistants are served by the American Association of Medical Assistants.
The role of professional organizations is to advocate for the profession through education, certification, and legislation. In too many industries, employees don’t get the recognition they deserve.
The benefits of representation include networking opportunities plus access to seminars and continuing education modules that count toward licensure or certification requirements. And when the government considers policy changes that impact your field, they advocate for you.
Varied Employment Settings
Medical assistants and vocational nurses work in the same places, hospitals, doctor’s offices, long-term care facilities, public health departments and other medical facilities. The roles are similar, but each workplace has something distinct to offer. It’s nice to have choices.
Hospitals, for example, are busier than private practices, and you’ll see intriguing cases that are uncommon in office environments. If you enjoy the hustle and bustle, the emergency room will keep you hopping. Doctor’s offices are busy but a little less hectic, and the work is more predictable.
Patients come and go in acute care facilities, so you’ll rarely get to know them, a city ER might see a thousand people per day. However, in a physician’s office or long-term care setting, you’ll work with the same clients day after day, making interpersonal connections that last a lifetime.
Roles also vary by setting. A vocational nurse working in a hospital will have exclusively clinical responsibilities. But in a nursing home or assisted living center, they may qualify for administrative positions. And while a medical assistant employed in a hospital will have a more administrative than clinical role, they might function as phlebotomists or EKG technicians in a cardiology practice.
If you get bored working in the same place or position for extended periods and want a rewarding career with flexibility, look no further than healthcare.
Final Thoughts
Finding a forever career in an evolving world is a challenge for today’s students. Your education is an investment, so you want to learn relevant skills in a dynamic field with job security and room for personal and professional growth. Healthcare is among the few industries with a strong
future and untapped potential.
Medical Assistant Program
The Medical Assistant Training Program at CyberTex Institute of Technology takes great care of you by providing hands-on training, practical experience and the support it takes to get started in a medical assisting career without spending years in school. You will learn the basics of both clinical and administrative skills, and prepare to work in physician’s offices, hospitals, and other medical facilities.
Licensed Vocational Nurse
Classes for the Vocational Nursing program are conducted in a student-friendly atmosphere conveniently located in Austin, Texas. After graduating from the Licensed Vocational Nursing program, students can apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN), become a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), and start their exciting new career immediately.
Contact us today to learn more about our Austin and Killeen campuses.