Healthcare professionals have been living in “interesting” times since early 2020. Pandemic stressors have led many in the profession to leave their current positions. Some have even opted for early retirement in the place of employment in a profession that they deem too difficult to continue with. What’s next in healthcare? As we start a New Year, it’s time for a check-in that will help you determine where you are in your career.
Healthcare Job Market 2022
The healthcare market is booming for both clinical and administrative positions. The latest numbers show the need for healthcare workers will increase by 19% by 2024, which is much faster than other sectors of the labor market. There are several reasons for this, including:
- The Baby Boomer generation is both older and living longer, so the need for healthcare services is increasing exponentially.
- More people have health insurance. The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) expanded Medicare and made it illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions.
- The medical profession is aging out. Many doctors fall within the boomer population and thus will retire in the coming years. This will exacerbate the clinical shortages expected in the next decade.
- Finally, the pandemic itself caused many healthcare workers to reassess their work/life balance, their careers, and their jobs.
For healthcare professionals, the world really is your oyster. The job market will afford you many opportunities in 2022. But you also need to assess where you are personally in your career. This next section will help.
Healthcare Career Assessment
We recommend taking the time to assess your career each year. Whether you’re happy in your current role or are thinking about a change, undergoing a regular self-assessment can help you determine ways to reinvigorate your career.
The days of staying in one job until retirement are quite rare now, even for doctors and nursing managers. While healthcare typically offers the stability where you could pursue one career at one employer for a decade or longer, sometimes a change of scenery is warranted to stave off burnout or increase your income and benefits.
Start with an assessment of where you are today versus where you thought you’d be. Was there a turning point in your career that made your job feel worse? Is there something you can do in your current job to help you reclaim that mission that drove you to work in the healthcare field? Think about:
- Your key responsibilities.
- The amount of work and stress you handle every day.
- If you took on additional work during the pandemic.
- How your job has changed over the past year.
Now consider the work environment you’re in. Ask yourself:
- Are you still content with your current employer?
- Would a job change help your attitude?
- Do you love the work and your employer but simply feel burned out and need a break?
- Do you know in your heart that a change is necessary to improve your work/life balance?
At this crossroads, which often comes with the turning of the clock over to the New Year, you can regain control of your career by taking stock. While the working world has changed tremendously over the last few years, healthcare professionals continue to be in high demand.
With 2021 officially coming to an end, it may be time to consider a new career in healthcare with AG Globe Services. Start the conversation. You may find staying where you are and making some changes is the best course of action for you and your family. But if it isn’t, AG Globe Services is the leading agency representing healthcare professionals like you in the nation.
