Health care jobs stable

Many people who have lost jobs to the recession may find a cure for unemployment in the health care field.

The need for specialty nurses, therapists and technicians of all kinds has stayed strong. Recruiters say health care reform could trigger even more growth.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration touts health care as one of the industries that will drive a jobs recovery.

But all this doesn’t add up to easy opportunity. Many health care jobs require applicants to go back to school, receive some sort of certification and deal with at least a temporary pay cut.

Michelle Vesey walked away from a $65,000-a-year job to return to school full time to become a nurse. The 47-year-old Inkster, Mich., resident took a buyout from Ford Motor Co. in 2007 and is living off a small stipend until she completes her degree in 2011.

“Let’s just say I was in the black before I started to do this, and I’ve seen nothing but red since,” she said.

Here are some keys to finding work in health care:

• Where are the jobs?

Demand is strong in physical and occupational therapy. People who work in these areas help patients recover following a hospital stay or take care of themselves.

Bob Livonius, CEO of Medfinders, a health care staffing and recruiting company, said he sees a need for certified nursing assistants, home health aides and personal companions who work in home care because that’s now the “preferred environment for people to age.”

The much-reported nursing shortage eased somewhat during the recession as retired nurses returned to work and part-timers switched to full-time status. But there’s still a staffing deficit in specialty areas like intensive care units and emergency rooms.

Unfortunately, there’s also a nursing school faculty shortage.

“The demand to get into nursing is so high, and yet there’s such a bottleneck in the education system,” said Susan Nowakowski, CEO of the San Diego-based staffing firm AMN Healthcare. “You may have to wait two to four years, and your grades better be pretty darn good.”

Not all the health care jobs involve working with patients. Billions of dollars in economic stimulus money have been set aside for upgrading electronic medical records and health care technology. That bodes well for people who already have accounting or information technology experience.

“The good news is people who have skills in other areas can quickly adapt to this,” Mr. Livonius said.

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