If this year has taught us anything, it’s that when change happens, we must adapt accordingly. This was especially evident in the healthcare world as doctors and nurses were tasked with quickly learning how to fight COVID-19 with almost no knowledge of the virus at all. However, what will the future of healthcare look like after the Coronavirus pandemic subsides? Which healthcare careers will be in the highest demand? These are two very important questions for staff, as well as aspiring health care professionals.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Current Healthcare Jobs
It’s important to reflect on the recent changes in the healthcare landscape and how the impact of COVID-19 caused serious financial issues for hospitals and private practices around the United States and globally. Between the months of February and April this year, healthcare employment decreased by 9.5% leaving one and a half million professionals out of work. Due to the highly contagious nature of the virus, hospitals delayed non-emergency procedures indefinitely and converted hospital floors into COVID-19 ICU units. With much less money coming in, hospitals have been forced to furlough and layoff health care workers that aren’t able to help with COVID-19 patients.
In-Demand and Projected Healthcare Jobs
Massive layoffs in a field that seemed virtually recession-proof are concerning for those who had planned their futures around working in healthcare. Medical students faced the challenge of adjusting to online classes and trying to figure out how to complete observation hours during the stay-at-home order. While others were called to action, working alongside health care professionals on the frontlines. If you are struggling to find work right now, or are still in school, don’t be discouraged. As of May, healthcare jobs are back on the rise with many health industries currently in high demand and are expected to remain in-demand after a vaccine for the Coronavirus is discovered.
Epidemiologists, laboratorians and registered nurses are the majority of healthcare professionals that make up the frontlines of the Coronavirus pandemic. However, one of the most heavily in-demand fields in healthcare is geriatrics. With the majority of hospitalizations and deaths linked to individuals 65 and up, the need for doctors and nurses who specialize in geriatric medicine is more urgent than ever. So, if you are still trying to figure out which health career path is right for you, geriatric medicine may be worth looking into.
Another health care industry seeing high increases in job availability is dental offices. About 245,000 of the 312,400 new jobs that have been created since May are in dentistry positions. Other healthcare positions that reported increases since May are health practitioners, jobs in physician’s offices and ambulatory sector workers.
Although this year has proven that no one can ever really predict what the future holds, as of right now, healthcare jobs and health professionals aren’t going anywhere. Although hospitals have suffered from financial consequences as a result of the Coronavirus, the need for health care is more obvious than ever before. There’s no question that healthcare jobs will soon see an increase in demand again. Change is inevitable and it is human nature to evolve and adapt to it. As for healthcare workers, this year has shown that they are superhuman.