Becoming a healthcare professional is all about learning to be a doctor or nurse, and working in either a hospital or local practice, right? Although this is a common thought for many who are thinking about their next career move, there are many other roles within this sector that you could consider when wondering about what you can do next.
So if you want to work in healthcare, but biology might not have been your best subject when you were at school, then you might want to put healthcare administrator on your shortlist of possible careers to explore. It’s the perfect role for those who enjoy having responsibility, are great at organizing groups of people and want to give back to their local community at the same time. These are only some of the many great reasons why you should think about becoming a healthcare administrator.
You’ll have great job satisfaction
Research has shown that healthcare workers are greatly satisfied with their choice of career. Not only do you get to nurture your desire to help other people, but you also get to earn a living at the same time – and there are very few other industries where you can make a difference in the way that you can within the healthcare industry.
It might be that you care for someone as they recover, help people through a difficult time in their lives, or ensure that your healthcare facility runs smoothly. No matter what your role, you’ll be playing a positive part in helping people or communities.
There are great job prospects
Since 2017, healthcare has been the largest source of jobs within the US – with growth in this area expected to continue. That means healthcare professionals will have more career opportunities, and find it easier to get a position than job seekers in other industries.
Getting employment – and staying employed – is greater in healthcare than in other fields because of advances in medicine. There’s also an increase in the demand for healthcare workers because of the aging population and new health reform legislation in the US. So the job outlook for healthcare administrators looks good.
You’ll be improving your community
Working in healthcare management means that you’ll also be working to improve your community. For instance, you could be looking at how to devise new, more efficient health systems – which could then lead to improving the quality of care that patients receive.
You can work in any setting without restrictions
Think that being a healthcare administrator means that you’ll be working in a hospital? Not necessarily, as you can work in many different settings – such as a doctor’s office, pharmaceutical companies, health insurance companies, public health institutions, or even long-term care facilities, for example.
You don’t even have to stay within the healthcare system. If you’re looking for a bit of variety later in your career, you could even think about spending time working for government agencies, becoming a collaborating physician, or even becoming a management consultant.