| There are critical shortages of these men and | | | | presence in northwest Illinois. |
| women all over the United States in medical | | | | Nurse and nursing assistant |
| practices and hospitals everywhere. Therefore, | | | | My sister Tanis Caras, who is 59 years old, has |
| healthcare options provide one of the fastest | | | | been a nurse and a nurse supervisor, principally in |
| growing professional fields for Baby Boomers and | | | | ICU, for many years. In the ICU ward, my sister |
| Active Seniors. Let's look at healthcare careers | | | | typically worked three days each week for 12 |
| that you can pursue right now. | | | | hours per shift. However, she was literally able to |
| Healthcare administration worker | | | | take off four days each week. But, on those |
| There are unlimited possibilities because the | | | | days when she was working, she really worked |
| hospitals nationally are all adding "new wings," | | | | long hours. Please bear in mind that people she |
| particularly for cancer and cancer research, heart | | | | monitored were men and women in life and death |
| surgery and other specialties, which different | | | | situations in the Intensive Care Unit of her hospital. |
| hospitals pursue. | | | | The American Nurses Association, which is |
| Information Technology knowledge will increasingly | | | | headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, |
| be required in most of these positions. It's no | | | | estimates the future shortfall for Registered |
| longer someone laboriously keeping records by | | | | Nurses will be 800,000. But, there is already a |
| hand anymore, but it's an individual entering the | | | | shortfall of nurses all over America. This analysis |
| information into a computer at a reception desk, | | | | also does not include the LPN category of nurses. |
| for example. Today's medical community is | | | | So the overall category of nurses in our society, |
| increasingly moving toward a paperless trail of | | | | especially as Baby Boomers continue to age, will |
| information. Companies such as Kansas City's | | | | exceed a one million nurse shortfall in our society |
| Cerner, which is a New York Stock Exchange | | | | in the future, which makes this a really critical |
| company where my son Jim works, are very | | | | issue in our society. Fortunately, there are men |
| much on the cutting edge of this type of | | | | and women who have been previously trained as |
| development. | | | | nurses, especially women who may have left the |
| Nurse practitioner | | | | profession to raise a family, for example. The |
| This is going to be a growing field in the future. | | | | nursing profession today is reaching out to these |
| Walgreens and one of the other major | | | | women to encourage them to come back to |
| pharmaceutical chains have now established | | | | their nursing career later in life. |
| urgent care facilities owned by their respective | | | | Nurse educator |
| firms, which feature a nurse practitioner for more | | | | In order to address the increased demand for |
| routine procedures. | | | | nurses, there is also today a crying need for |
| In the future, a growing number of these clinics | | | | nurse educators, who are willing to go back to |
| will open to treat patients, who may or may not | | | | school to earn a Master's degree or PhD so that |
| have healthcare insurance, or whose doctor's | | | | they can be qualified to teach in a nursing school |
| office may not be open that day. | | | | or at a college level. |
| Geriatric care manager | | | | Medical technologist and hospital worker |
| It's a growing field. Men and women have all | | | | These men and women do all sorts of testing, |
| different levels of education and experience | | | | CT scans and various things having to do with |
| leading into these positions. There are even | | | | specialized practices in medicine or as workers in a |
| temporary employment agencies that send | | | | hospital. |
| people out on assignments, which may take place | | | | Dental hygienist |
| every day, a few days each week or a certain | | | | This professional also receives high pay in a dental |
| number of hours per day for three days each | | | | office. Typically, this individual is a woman, who |
| week, depending on a given family's needs. | | | | works as an independent contractor for a dental |
| Hospital worker | | | | office or several dental practices. |
| The good news about hospitals is this: the current | | | | This high demand individual has typically pursued a |
| list of top employers for men and women over | | | | two year curriculum at a local junior college. But, |
| age 50 includes hospitals throughout the U.S. In | | | | the sky is the limit in terms of where that |
| fact, two of those hospitals have significant | | | | woman will wind up working. Most often, she will |
| facilities in my home county of McHenry County, | | | | be able to choose a dental office or offices close |
| Illinois. One is Centegra Health System and the | | | | to her home. Finally, these women normally do |
| other is Mercy Medical, which is based in Southern | | | | not work every single day, but rather they |
| Wisconsin, but they also have a significant | | | | pursue their skill three or four days each week. |