Future for Health Care Professionals Looks Bright  

By Amy Palmer
Kforce Feature Author

The demand for all health care professionals sharply exceeds the current supply of available talent.  The nursing shortage is the greatest it has been in 20 years.  This shortage impacts all areas of the profession, from medical-surgical, ICU, labor and delivery professionals, to more administrative office nursing roles like case managers, utilization review professionals and telephonic triage nurses.

If current trends hold, the demand for these professionals will be surpassed by the need for home health aides (HHAs).  Already experiencing a critical shortage, the HHA profession will be in even greater demand as the baby boomer population continues to age.

Allied health professionals are also in high demand.  The following professionals are commanding top dollar because of their short supply:

• Radiology techs
• Medical techs
• Ultrasonography techs
• Respiratory therapists

Many health care facilities are offering very large sign-on bonuses to attract and retain these much-needed individuals.  Hiring organizations are also increasingly offering relocation packages once considered only for management and/or higher-level administrative professionals.

As health care facilities struggle to stay profitable, people who code charts, get bills out the door and attempt to collect money have become critical to revenue flow (and therefore profitability) of these institutions.  Therefore, the demand for transcriptionists, coders, billers and collectors is also increasing, so hospitals, clinics and nursing homes are paying top dollar to attract and retain the best.  These professionals also face an exciting future as part of the telecommuting world, as more and more opportunities become available to provide these services online through the Internet.

With so many health care professionals in demand, facilities will typically offer various employment options, including per diem, contract work (both local and travel), contract-to-permanent work, as well as permanent positions.  It is certainly clear that all professionals presently working in a health care setting are assured of a bright career path in their chosen field.

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