Healthcare Managers

Health care jobs for medical and health services managers are expected to increase at about 18 to 26 percent through 2014, as the health care industry continues to expand and diversify.

Health careJob opportunities will be especially good in offices of health practitioners, general medical and surgical hospitals, home health care services, and outpatient care centers.

Hospitals will continue to employ the most medical and health services managers. However, the number of new jobs created is expected to increase at a slower rate in hospitals than in many other industries because of the growing utilization of clinics and other outpatient care sites.

Medical and health services managers with experience in large facilities will enjoy the best job opportunities, as hospitals become larger and more complex.

Employment will grow fastest in practitioners’ offices and in home health care agencies. Many services previously provided in hospitals will continue to shift to these sectors, especially as medical technologies improve.

Physicians and PAs

Health care jobs for doctors are projected to at about 18 to 26 percent through the year 2014 due to continued expansion of health care industries.

The growing and aging population will drive overall growth in the demand for physician services, as consumers continue to demand high levels of care.

Opportunities should be particularly good in rural and low-income areas, because some physicians find these areas unattractive due to less control over work hours, isolation from medical colleagues, or other reasons.

Health care jobs for PAs are expected to rapidly, at least 27 percent or more, through the year 2014, ranking among the fastest growing occupations, due to anticipated expansion of the health care industry and an emphasis on cost containment, resulting in increasing utilization of PAs by physicians and health care institutions.

Physicians and institutions are expected to employ more PAs to provide primary care and to assist with medical and surgical procedures. Job opportunities for PAs should be good, particularly in rural and inner city clinics, because those settings have difficulty attracting physicians.

Besides the traditional office-based setting, PAs should find a growing number of jobs in institutional settings such as hospitals, academic medical centers, public clinics, and prisons. Opportunities will be best in States that allow PAs a wider scope of practice.

Dentists

Health care jobs for dentists are projected to grow about 9 to 17 percent through 2014.

Demand for dental care should grow substantially through 2014. As members of the baby-boom generation advance into middle age, a large number will need complicated dental work, such as bridges. In addition, elderly people are more likely to retain their teeth than were their predecessors, so they will require much more care than in the past.

However, employment of dentists is not expected to grow as rapidly as the demand for dental services. As their practices expand, dentists are likely to hire more dental hygienists and dental assistants to handle routine services.

Health care jobs for dental assistants should be excellent. Employment is expected to grow very rapidly, at least 25 percent or more, though the year 2014. In fact, dental assistants is expected to be one of the fastest growing occupations over the 2004-14 projection period.

Many opportunities are for entry-level positions offering on-the-job training.

Older dentists, who have been less likely to employ assistants, are leaving the occupation and will be replaced by recent graduates, who are more likely to use one or even two assistants. In addition, as dentists’ workloads increase, they are expected to hire more assistants to perform routine tasks, so that they may devote their own time to more complex procedures.

Nurses

Health care jobs for RNs in all specialties are expected to be excellent. Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow rapidly, at least 25 percent or more, through 2014.

This high rate of job growth will be driven by technological advances in patient care, which permit a greater number of medical problems to be treated, and by an increasing emphasis on preventive care. In addition, the number of older people, who are much more likely than younger people to need nursing care, is projected to grow rapidly.

Employment is expected to grow more slowly in hospitals than in most other health care industries. Patients are being discharged earlier, and more procedures are being done on an outpatient basis.

Rapid growth is expected in hospital outpatient facilities, such as those providing same-day surgery, rehabilitation, and chemotherapy.

Despite the slower employment growth in hospitals, job opportunities should still be excellent because of the relatively high turnover of hospital nurses. Critical care units, emergency departments, and operating rooms generally will have more job openings than other departments.

To attract and retain qualified nurses, hospitals may offer signing bonuses, family-friendly work schedules, or subsidized training.

Health care jobs for RNs is expected to grow much faster than average in physician’s offices and in outpatient care centers. However, RNs may face greater competition for these positions because they generally offer regular working hours and more comfortable working environments.

Employment in nursing care facilities is expected to grow faster than average because of increases in the number of elderly, many of whom require long-term care.

Generally, RNs with at least a bachelor’s degree will have better job prospects than those without a bachelor’s. In addition, all four advanced practice specialties—clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, midwives, and anesthetists—will be in high demand.

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