There are many healthcare jobs such as those in administration, sales, consultancy, computer and technical support and so on that do not require traditionally medical training but are just as vital to the smooth and successful operation of the healthcare industry. Then there are more medically related jobs that require a bit of training, such as nursing assistants or aides, home care nurses, physical and rehabilitative therapists, dieticians, sports scientists, midwives, and patient care technicians. Depending on your area of interest or expertise getting a jobs in healthcare can be a very rewarding experience.
Jobs in healthcare administration and sales are on the rise as well, as are those in computer and technical support. Hospitals increasingly use computerized records and databases and therefore require someone with the right expertise to help them manage these databases and keep them secure. Home healthcare has become an increasingly necessary part of the medical industry as more and more people with cancer or debilitating sicknesses require the services of a nurse or healthcare professional in the home environment. Working at a hospital itself as a nurse's assistant or aide is also a great way to get involved if you have the right temperament for work like that. You can even get involved in much simpler ways, as a regular visitor to help cheer up the very old and very young, and the terminally sick.
Physical therapists mainly help people improve their motor and muscular functions, such as walking, using their arms, using prosthetic devices and so on. Jobs here are also widely available and require a bit of training, and are best for you if you enjoy living an active lifestyle and want other people to be able to as well.
This is closely related to, but different in one key respect, from sports science and kinesthetics. Healthcare jobs in the latter field relate mainly to the motor function of the body, as in physical therapy, but are aimed at improving and optimizing the athletic functioning of an already healthy body. You will most likely be closely involved with amateur and professional athletes and sports people in this field.
Then there are rehabilitative therapists, who work with drug abuse patients. They require a few different skills, such as physical therapy to help deal with withdrawal symptoms, some herbal and medicinal training and a certain amount of mental therapy training as well. Many rehab centers are government or charity sponsored but there are plenty of private, secluded centers that require very professional and discrete staff.
Then there are dieticians and nutritionists that advise patients on the best kind of diet for their health and well-being. They also sometimes need some measure of mental therapy training as quite often they have to deal with people who suffer from eating disorders. Obesity, bulimia, and anorexia are probably the most common problems these days and it is the dietician's job to help these patients find healthy, balanced diets and even overcome some of their psychological problems that lead them into these problems in the first place. Dieticians and nutritionists also advise those with certain conditions that require special dietary considerations, such as women who are pregnant and people who have allergies or diabetes or even asthma.
Midwifery is another very common and much-needed job in healthcare that requires trained and dedicated workers to help women get through the process of childbirth. This includes many aspects of the pregnancy itself as well, such as dietary concerns, medicine use, and physical and psychological therapy during the time that the woman is with child.
Lastly, there are many jobs opening in the field of patient care technician, which you can be a suitable candidate for after completing a certain number of units at an accredited institution. You are then certified to perform certain specialized tasks that require basic training, such as urine analysis and hematology, and save the hospital or center a lot of time and resources that can then be devoted to other patients in need.
