As a parent, it can be hard to find the right balance between looking after the kids and maintaining your work schedule. Throughout their early years, it’s only natural that you will want to be around as much as you can. Whether it’s taking your little ones to school or going to see them play sports, finding a healthcare career that allows you to be part of milestone occasions is incredibly important.
Many parents need a job that provides them with flexible hours and a good salary. What’s more, there are several work-from-home positions available, making it easier than ever to run around after the kids while maintaining a successful career.
Here are 10 healthcare careers that are ideally suited to parents:
Medical Assistant
There are various tasks that a medical assistant must cover for physicians. Not only do they do clinical work, but they work in the administrative side of things too, however, this will depend on the facility they work for. If you’re interested in becoming a medical assistant that can provide you with a flexible schedule, you may want to begin working in a smaller clinic or office. While busy hospitals always require medical assistants, the schedule can be much more demanding. There are several ways on how you can become a medical assistant such as through education or on-the-job training. If you have a family and need to be at home more, you can receive flexibility from being a medical assistant.
Registered Nurse
In the United States, there is a real shortage of registered nurses. Because there are so few registered nurses, this means that you can have a flexible schedule, as well as having the opportunity to work in private facilities or in people’s homes. However, you will need to possess a bachelor’s degree in order to become a registered nurse. Thankfully, you can complete the degree in your own time, giving you the flexibility, you need. There are further options you can take too, such as completing an online Nurse-Midwifery track. Be sure to check out onlinenursing.baylor.edu/programs/dnp-midwifery where you can find more information.
Online Assistant
For many registered nurses, they have turned to the internet which can offer more flexibility. Whether you have been a nurse for several years or you have just started out, advertising your services on an online platform can be a fantastic way to pick your own hours and schedule. With technology constantly changing, people are more likely to seek out medical advice from the internet before making an appointment with their doctor. Answering medical questions on specific websites can be a fantastic work-from-home position, enabling you to be at home with the kids.
Occupational Therapist
While an occupational therapist has typically been known as a full-time position, there is the option to go part-time, which can give you a more forgiving schedule. One of the main responsibilities of an occupational therapist is to treat patients with a mental or physical condition that hinders their ability to perform day to day tasks. If you are looking to go down the part-time route, you are likely to find such roles in hospitals, schools, home health services, and nursing homes.
Medical Transcriptionist
If you have an eye for typing and a knack for detail, a medical transcriptionist may be the perfect role for you. To succeed in this field, you will need to type various audio files into databases which are typically done by specialists or physicians. A medical transcriptionist will receive those audio files before turning them into documents which can be referred back. One of the main benefits of becoming a medical transcriptionist is that you are likely to be offered regular hours, allowing you to be at home with your kids each evening.
Home Health Aide
If you would like to work in the healthcare industry, but without the stress and worry of long, hectic hours in a hospital, a home health aide may be the right job for you. To be successful for this role, you will need to have a high school diploma as well as some form of training or testing. Assisting those who may have physical disabilities is one of the main roles that a home health aide does. While there are many home health aides who work full time, there is the option to be part-time too, giving you more flexibility. If you go down the part-time route, you may be able to work nights too. You are also able to create your own schedule, which can fit perfectly around your family and social life.
Physical Therapist Aide
A physical therapist aide is responsible for helping physical therapists to provide services to patients who need recovery options. Whether it be by dealing with an injury the patient has sustained from an accident or another form of ailment that requires immediate attention. The main difference between a physical therapist and a physical therapist aide is that the latter only needs to obtain an associate degree to practice. There are several fantastic opportunities to work flexible hours too. If you are looking for a role that gives you a work-life balance (especially as a parent), a physical therapist aide may be perfect for you.
Massage Therapist
Massage therapy usually combines medical expertise with a business way of thinking. With the majority of massage therapists working for themselves, this can be a great role to give you more flexibility and balance, giving you more time to be at home with the kids. The main duties of a massage therapist involve helping patients heal from injuries, improving patients’ blood circulation, as well as reducing stress levels. In order to become a massage therapist, you will need to be enrolled in a massage therapy education program. While there is no official degree that’s required, there are various college institutions that provide training programs, helping you to gain all the knowledge and skills you need to succeed in this career. If you like the idea of working for yourself and becoming an entrepreneur, a massage therapist may be the perfect occupation for you.
Medical Coder
Known as a popular choice for students, parents, or just about anyone who’s wanting both stability and flexibility, a medical coder is another great choice for those who are wanting more time to spend with their loved ones. As a medical coder, you are required to learn and utilize medical codes to ensure the patient’s privacy is respected and enforced. With each medical code involving a sequence of numbers that represents a piece of information, these numbers tend to be color-coded, which helps the physician understand what they are working with. What’s more, becoming a medical coder can provide you with more flexibility should you want to work in a busy urgent care near me rather than in a small private practice. You also have the option to work for yourself, however, make sure to take your time to work out whether this is the right for you as you may find it difficult to get started, especially if you don’t have the right experience to get hired by organizations or hospitals.
Phlebotomist
Regarded as one of the most sought-after roles in the medical field at present, becoming a Phlebotomist can offer you job flexibility and stability, especially with technology making blood draws ever more important. With people tending to live longer than ever, this means that more people require their blood to be taken. There are tons of perks that phlebotomy can bring, especially as it’s in high demand by clinics and hospitals. Also, quality phlebotomists are required across the country, which can provide you with a great opportunity to work a flexible schedule. If you enjoy working with all walks of life, as well as being extremely organized, a Phlebotomist could be the perfect role for you. However, training as a Phlebotomist can take anywhere between eight months and three years, so you need to be serious about the role before you decide. Once you have gained your certificate, you will be able to find employment opportunities in hospitals, clinics, or private practice. There are tons of organizations that urgently require phlebotomists such as nursing homes, prisons, and blood drive organizations.
If you’re new to parenthood, you will know only too well how much time is taken up to ensure your kids are well taken care of. However, becoming a parent doesn’t have to stop you in your tracks. It’s only natural that you will want the best for your kids, so working your way up the career ladder to achieve your dream healthcare job can provide stability for you and your family.
If you are interested in any of the roles listed, it’s always best to work out whether you can fit it around your daily schedule. Many of the positions offer flexibility, enabling you to be there at the school gates. There are also tons of part-time vacancies too, not to mention work from home opportunities which can give you more time to bond with your kids.