When most people think about careers in healthcare, they envision jobs caring for patients – many times in traumatic circumstances. In truth, there are a number of healthcare jobs that don’t involve any direct patient care…or, for those that do relate to patients, aren’t focused on caring for patients in gory, potentially bloody, situations.
Healthcare Job Options Without Direct Patient Care
For example, Medical Billing and Coding Specialists – even many Medical Assistants – perform administrative duties, such as coordinating insurance coverage, filling out/filing charts, handling appointment scheduling, and the like. While they may “see” a patient to gather information, many times they aren’t involved in actual treatment. Same for a number of imaging careers, from Diagnostic Medical Sonographers and Radiation Therapists to MRI Techs or Nuclear Medicine Technologists – all of which a seen as booming, mostly blood-free healthcare careers.
Another in-demand area is in Medical Equipment Repair, which functions on the “outskirts” of healthcare and does not include patient contact, except in very rare circumstances. As a Healthcare Risk Management Administrator or Medical Health Services Manager, you’d be working on the administrative side to help set guidelines for ensuring quality medical care – patient-oriented careers that do not require direct patient contact.
Sterile Processing Technicians work at hospitals and clinics where they ensure that medical instruments and equipment are contaminant-free. They practice infection control methods and the proper techniques to clean, sterilize and distribute medical instruments and supplies for hospital use and then to package sterile instruments for use in the operating room.
And, if you have a talent for writing, or showing others how to perform at their highest levels, you could work in healthcare as a Clinical Educator…or a Medical Writer. Writers often are employed by pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies, or other health services providers to prepare information that will be shared with patients. Both careers require a fairly deep knowledge of the medical field, but little to no patient contact.
Even Nursing offers non-patient focused career paths. For example, as an RN (registered nurse, which requires an Associate Degree in Nursing) you may serve as a Quality Improvement Coordinator to design and implement policies that enhance patient care standards or an Informatics Nurse. Informatics nurses evaluate facilities’ needs for clinical IT applications and may be asked to help train staff on their use.
Choosing a Career in Healthcare
In short…a career in healthcare does not necessarily have to be patient-focused. And, many of those that aren’t can be found in growing areas that offer decent salaries as well. They’re worth checking out.
Fortis College and Institute campuses offer a wide variety of healthcare and allied health career programs – many of them that either don't require direct patient contact or, if they do, under non-traumatic circumstances. For those seeking a meaningful career in the medical sector, Fortis can help prepare them for challenging…yet rewarding…careers. Visit our site for more information about the various career choices, and the campuses offering programs geared to your optimum career path.
