From the front lines in Healthcare

The healthcare career ladder is long, every rung to climb has experience requirements.  Start from the very bottom, and this is what you could expect to find:

You need to have a selfless reason to work in healthcare.  If you view yourself more important than others, -stop reading this- you would have better luck in the entertainment industry.

You do not have the luxury of 4 weekends off a month

Your work does not stop to observe holidays or catastrophic weather events.  Human needs are a 24/7/365 operation

 You are always needed and depended on by your employer and residents

You are punched, slapped, kicked (in the face), shoved, bruised, verbally abused, and needed in too many directions simultaneously on the bad days.  Most of the time, your residents/ patients don't know any better when you are treated this way.  Patience and self control are the key.

On the good days, you will be appreciated, hear great stories from residents/patients, feel like you made a difference, and maybe even connect with the meaning of life on a deeper level.  This job has the best setting for lessons taught in life by wise people.

Your back will be sore and your feet will hurt.  You will find bruises in places on your body and never know what they were from.  This job ages you.

 You need to develop a strong stomach, you will see and smell things that will test that.

You won't ever find the time to take a break.  Lunch is your only break unless you want to abandon your co-workers and resident/patient needs.  You will need to postpone bathroom breaks.  If you serve yourself before others, you will not last long in healthcare.  

If you have found a good team of coworkers that help everyone they serve and each person on their team, it is 100% worth staying employed there.  You help your coworkers, they will help you. 

If you're interested in healthcare careers for the money, plan on studying something else unless you become a Doctor, Surgeon, Specialist, Therapist, or perhaps a Registered Nurse.  Even there you have a ladder to climb.  

~LMc