Employment is expected to grow faster than average over the 2006-16 period as more people learn about the benefits of massage therapy. Many States require formal training and national certification in order to practice massage therapy. This occupation includes a large percentage of part-time and self-employed workers. Find a massage therapy school.

Respiratory therapists help all kinds of patients with breathing difficulties, from babies with underdeveloped pulmonary systems to elderly people with damaged lungs. Before starting work as a respiratory therapist, you must first earn an associate's degree or bachelor's degree from an accredited school. When it comes to schooling, you have plenty of choices: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2005, there were 51 entry-level and 329 advanced respiratory therapy programs in the United States. While studying to be a respiratory therapist, you can take classes in chemistry, physics, respiratory therapy, and diagnostic procedures. If you'd like increased flexibility with your schooling, you can always sign up for an online respiratory therapy program.

Choosing a career in the medical field is one of the best options available for most people these days because of the job security, possible career advancement and other intangible factors for job satisfaction in this type of decision. Naturally, there are certain training and certifications required before consideration of eligibility in the different careers available in the medical field. There are some short courses, certification examinations with varying lengths needed for preparation and immersion. Read more...

Nursing assistants are a critical link in the health care chain. You can be the face that brightens a patient's day, a helping hand for basic tasks, and, for some patients, the key to maintaining dignity.

Nursing assistants, also called nurse aides, typically have the most direct contact with patients. This means you may often be the first one to notice changes in health, mood, or mobility. As a nursing assistant, you may work in a hospital or long-term care facility helping patients perform everyday tasks like eating, bathing, or just getting out of bed. You may tidy up rooms or check blood pressure. With specialized training, you can handle medication, set up equipment, or assist in certain medical procedures.

A Window to the World
One of the most satisfying parts of the job can be the relationship you forge with your patients. For them, you can be a link to the outside world--serving up a dose of news and good cheer along with dinner. According to recent study by the Department of Health and Human Services, this relationship is cited as "having the greatest impact on (the patient's) quality of life."

Getting Started
To become a nursing assistant, you should have at least high school diploma or its equivalent to start. You can then receive additional training in one of the following ways:

• Hospitals and nursing care facilities. Many healthcare facilities offer programs at low or no cost--some even pay you to learn. Buyers beware, though; you may be obligated to work for that facility once your training is complete.
• Local Red Cross chapters. Some Red Cross chapters offer day and evening training programs that run 4 to 8 weeks, with real practice in a hospital setting.
• Community and junior colleges. Maybe the most time-consuming and expensive option, but community and junior colleges have programs that can qualify you for higher-paying or more specialized jobs, particularly certified nurse assistant (CNA) programs.
• Online courses. Online courses can be a great way to strengthen your skills if you are already working or enrolled in an on-site program.

The Perks
While you won't earn a six-figure salary as a nursing assistant, you may find the potential for flexible hours and part time work an attractive trade-off. Furthermore, this entry-level job is a great way to test the healthcare waters. You can get practical experience and, perhaps, discover that you want to become a nurse or physician's assistant. And with the country facing a critical shortage of nursing assistants, you could turn your education and training into a stable, up-and-coming career. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job opportunities for nursing assistants to increase by 28 percent through 2016.

Nurses provide care and comfort to everyone from infants to the elderly, from basic tasks like changing bed sheets and helping individuals dress themselves to treating patients, analyzing health information, operating medical machines, and providing public education about health care topics.

Nursing Roles
Multiple levels of nursing give you ample options to develop a nursing career. Nursing aides and assistants do the most basic kinds of work. Licensed practitioner nurses (LPNs) have greater responsibilities such as monitoring medical equipment, supervising aides, and taking samples for analysis. Registered nurses (RNs) are the largest group of health care individuals with more than 2.5 million RNs in the U.S. according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). RNs can create health plans for patients as well as contribute to the current plans. They consult with doctors and other clinicians as well as direct LPNs and nursing attendants. RNs can specialize in a variety of areas such as working with specific population segments or specific diseases and ailments.

The Big Health Boom
One of the main benefits of being a nurse is simply being able to help people heal and overcome disease or discomfort. According to projections by the BLS, over a half of a million new RN jobs will be created between 2006 and 2016. This growth suggests that nurses should enjoy job stability as well as find a range of career options. Because of the recent nursing faculty shortage, there are opportunities for nurses to become teachers. Some hospitals and other organizations offer subsidies for education and signing bonuses to attract nurses.

Prepping for a Nursing Career
Home health aides and nursing aides often only need on-the-job training, but most other nursing careers require a higher level of education as well as certification. RN to BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) degree programs can help individuals get the education they need, and RN to MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) degree programs are also available. Individuals can also continue their education to earn doctorates in nursing (DNP=Doctor of Nursing Practice). Terminal nursing degrees are generally practice-focused or research-focused. The doctorate degree prepares an individual to join nursing faculty ranks or work on health care policy issues in larger organizations.

If helping people heal is important to you, a career in nursing can be a great long-term move to bring you financial stability and personal rewards.

Joan Russet has a key chain that reads: "ER: You watch it. We live it." Seven years ago, Russet quit her cubicle-bound administrator job to become an ER nurse. Tired of watching life go by, she decided to live her dream of helping those in need. A cool customer with a talent for getting the job done, she was a perfect candidate for the high-stakes environment of the hospital Emergency Room. But first, Russet had to build the training and credentials to qualify for the position. As the personal assistant to a medical research director, Russet was already at the sidelines of medical care. A nursing degree took her into the heart of the profession. Read more...

With massive layoffs gutting almost all sectors of the U.S. economy, more and more job hunters are searching for stable work and livable pay. Research from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) may indicate a solution. Over the next decade, the BLS predicts significant job growth in health care. From high school students and recent grads, to students of technical schools and college degree programs, the following three paths can help job hunters looking to benefit from the coming healthcare. Read more...

What if you could have a healthcare career without long years in medical school? And what if you never had to work the night shift at a hospital or clinic to get your foot in the medical door? In fact, you can have the gains of an in-demand career in the medical sector without the pains of years of study and dues-paying--if you study medical billing and coding, the healthcare careers that defy expectations. Read more...

It's no secret that Americans love pets. According to the Humane Society, there are currently around 74.8 million pet dogs and roughly 90 million cats in the United States. This skyrocketing amount of furry friends has created a huge demand for well-qualified animal health care professionals, such as veterinary technicians. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the employment of veterinary technologists and technicians should grow by forty-one percent between 2006 and 2016. Sound intriguing? Let's examine how you can become a successful veterinary technician. Read more...

As the baby boom generation ages, our health care system must grow to keep up with the needs of an older population. In addition to an expanding infrastructure, this includes the increased production and distribution of prescription drugs. Rather than hiring more pharmacists to handle this growth, many pharmacies are turning to pharmacy technicians. As a result, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts the creation of roughly 91,000 new pharmacy technician jobs by 2016. If you are looking for a career with great opportunities for advancement in a thriving industry, consider enrolling in a pharmacy technician program. Read more...

In the every-cloud-has-a-silver-lining department, it seems that the current economic downturn is actually helping to ease America's nursing shortage. The Wall Street Journal on its May 7th issue reports that many nurses who had given up the nursing field are returning to work filling the shortage. The article, titled Slowdown's Side Effect: More Nurses, suggests that falling home prices and rising costs of gas and food are sending people back into nursing. Some of these nurses are seeking income to compensate for the wages of a spouse who lost a job. Read more...

The American medical system is woefully unprepared for the flood of aging baby boomers, according to a sweeping federal study released Monday, which predicted crisis-level shortages in healthcare workers and serious gaps in training. Career training can fill in those gaps and provide jobs. Read more...

After 25 years in the photo-finishing business, Art Robin has called it quits. He has closed his Photo Lab and digital-kiosk cafe on Silas Creek Parkway. Robin started looking for a Plan B two years ago when business started “trending down. It appeared to me I wouldn’t have the financial ability to retire from this business.” His search started when a friend lost his specialized job after working 22 years for a company. Read more...

On a rainy Tuesday, Andrea Gillard of Frederick had just finished an eight-hour shift as a housekeeper when she entered the Frederick Housing Authority’s office on East Patrick Street. Shortly before 6 p.m., covered with rain and mild exhaustion, the single mom reached into a fast food bag for dinner and cracked open a textbook of medical terminology. For the next two hours, she immersed herself in everything from lymph nodes to aneurysms before finally calling it a day. Gillard is one of 12 women enrolled in the new Allied Health Academy, providing education and training for women who live in Frederick’s public housing as a stepping stone to a better career. Read More...