5 hot health care jobs hiring in New Jersey
In hindsight, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Gadeeja Daniels wanted to become a nurse. She was a child when her mother died from complications from multiple sclerosis, but she vividly remembers the care nurses provided.
Now 25, Daniels reached her goal recently when she was hired by HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Toms River as a nurse. She is scheduled to start July 13.
“I had some other opportunities and interviews as well, but I seemed to benefit the most from what they were offering,” said Daniels, a Jackson resident.
New Jersey’s health care employment is at record highs – a sign that the industry has shaken off both downturns in the overall economy and cost cuts that were supposed to come down the pike from Obamacare.
What’s emerging, experts say, is a demand for different health care occupations that not only help consumers when they get sick, but also help them stay healthy and out of the hospital.
Growing demand
Janet Spetko, manager of health care training at Brookdale Community College in Middletown, said she has seen demand for home health care aides, medical assistants in doctors’ offices, technicians and certified nursing assistants.
“I think there will always be as many jobs,” Spetko said. “The goal is to keep the patients on the outside of the hospital as much as possible and treated without the expense of the hospital.”
To wit: New Jersey had 554,700 health care and social assistance jobs in April, 2.8 percent more than a year ago and 11.6 percent at the peak of New Jersey’s labor market in January 2008. (By comparison, New Jersey’s total employment was up 1.1 percent from a year ago and down 2.2 percent from January 2008).
The Asbury Park Press looked at five hot health care occupations in the age of health reform.
1. Registered nurse
What they do: Cares for sick, injured, rehabilitating or disabled patients. They work in hospitals, physician offices, patients’ homes or long-term care centers.
Qualifications: Either an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Why them: Aging baby boomers are requiring more care. Aging baby boomers who are nurses are retiring. HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Toms River, with 420 employees, had a job fair earlier this month to fill up to 18 nursing positions.
Pay: Registered nurses average $78,330 a year in New Jersey, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What will it take to succeed? “Definitely to be able to adapt, for sure,” Gadeeja Daniels said. “I think it’s a lot about what you know, but from what I hear, it’s going to be nothing like what you learn in school. You have to be able to catch onto things quickly and work hard.”
2. Primary care doctor
Qualifications: A bachelor’s degree, one year of university-based research, four years of medical school and three years of residency training.
What they do: Diagnose and treat nonsurgical illnesses.
Why them: The health care industry is putting an emphasis on preventative care, hoping patients will see a primary care doctor who can serve as a coach, catch warning signs and treat illnesses.
Pay: Primary care doctors average about $160,000 a year, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
What are the pluses and minuses? “It’s a lot of stress and intensity,” said Dr. Jason Nehmad, a primary care doctor in Ocean Township. He’s affiliated with Meridian Health. “You’ve got to love taking care of people. There’s nothing more rewarding than a thank-you from a family member, ‘Thank you for taking care of my child or mom.’ It’s better than any paycheck.”
3. Integrative health specialist
What they do: Coordinate patients’ health care, whether it is encouraging them to exercise or getting them mental health help, and ensure they are treated in the most appropriate setting.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree with lots of different paths, including nursing, social work and even information-technology experts who can crunch data.
Why them: Insurance companies are changing the way they reimburse hospitals and doctors. Instead of paying them for every service, insurers are beginning to reward providers based on the outcome of the treatment.
Pay: Health educators average $58,760 a year in New Jersey, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What stands out about the job? “What I love about it is the variety and the fact that as I’m coming in from the parking lot to my office it’s about service and making a difference to that one person somewhere,” said Kim Simers, assistant vice president of integrative health at CentraState Healthcare System in Freehold Township.
4. Diagnostic medical sonographers
What they do: Use sound waves to help physicians observe internal organs.
Qualifications: Students with a high school or college degree can enroll in either accredited or nonaccredited programs. Workers need to be licensed by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography, which sets professional standards.
Why them: There is no radiation involved, which appeals to health-conscious consumers. Meantime, more consumers have access to ultrasounds. Breast ultrasound is another tool that can be used to detect breast cancer when it is used in conjunction with a mammogram. Breast ultrasound demand has increased greatly with recently passed legislation in New Jersey designed to make women more aware of the test.
Pay: Averages $71,620 a year in New Jersey according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Quote: “Performing Breast ultrasounds is a very high anxiety exam for me and my patients. The patients are scared because they have either a lump or an abnormal mammogram. Its my job to find the abnormality and show it to the Radiologist. If it is cancer I find comfort that they are in the best place and we will take them step by step through the process,” said Tracy McGinness, an ultrasound technologist at the Jacqueline Welentz Breast Center at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch.
5. Physical therapy assistant
What they do: Work for physical therapists, helping patients who are recovering from injuries and illnesses regain movement and manage pain.
Qualifications: Associate’s degree in physical therapy. It typically is a two-year program consisting of general education, physical therapy courses and clinical education, according to the American Physical Therapy Association.
Why them: The population is aging, creating a demand from consumers who are rehabilitating.
Pay: Physical therapy assistants in New Jersey average $61,630 a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Quote: “You see a lot of different people who are very friendly, every day is different and you’re helping people, of course,” said Karen Tortorelli, a physical therapy assistant at Community Medical Center in Toms River. “The down part is, there’s always some you can’t help, which is tough. You always want to be in a field where you help everybody, but we not always can.”
Michael L. Diamond; 732-643-4038; mdiamond@gannettnj.com