Healthcare Careers Dedicated to Improving Long-Term Quality of Life

Sometimes it seems like healthcare jobs are only reaching people when they are already in a bad situation. You might patch them up, but are they better off when they leave the hospital than they were before they got there?

Watching people get worse is one of the things that slowly drives healthcare employees away. Unfortunately, it’s an inevitable part of the job in many cases. With certain occupations—like gerontology or hospice work—it is the job.

Speech Pathologist

It’s maybe not the career that first comes to mind when you think of “healthcare.” Yet a person’s ability to communicate ties very directly to their health. People with speech disorders experience considerably higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression than those who are able to communicate unimpaired.

While every experience is unique, these conditions are often very treatable. If you are hoping to witness long-term improvement, this could be an ideal match.

Speech pathologists often work with young children, sometimes in schools, and other times in private settings. And while there are no guarantees for individual outcomes, the overall trajectory of treatment is decidedly positive. Up to 70% of people who seek treatment for their speech disorder will experience dramatic improvement with time.

The road to speech pathology can be long. You will need:
 

• A bachelor’s degree. This can come in almost any form but is often related to communication.
• A master’s degree. It is only through graduate studies that you can even study speech pathology in a way that will lead to a career.
• A fellowship: Basically, you get around 26 hours of—typically unpaid—clinical experience. Similar to student teaching or clinical nursing rotations in that you take what amounts to a semester of classwork and apply it directly in the field.

At the end of all that, you will still need to pass a standardized test called the Praxis exam. Once you have jumped through all of those hoops, you can become licensed.

FNP

An FNP, or family nurse practitioner, is not necessarily working with people who are gravely ill. Their job is actually more closely aligned with the work of a general practitioner. They see patients for minor ailments or even routine wellness checks.

They can diagnose patients, prescribe medications, and help people develop individualized long-term health plans. In terms of improvement, this is ideal because it falls under the category of preventative medicine. Patients who follow the game plan will generally see good long-term results.

To become an FNP you will need to:

• Complete your BSN- This is the standard bachelor’s degree for nurses. It involves four years of study (usually) along with mandatory clinical rotations.
• Pass the NCLEX- The NCLEX is a standardized exam that all nursing students must take in order to be licensed.
• Go to graduate school- You’ll now need to earn your MSN with a focus on family nursing. That means more clinical rotations and standardized exams.

The timeframe can vary pretty radically for a few reasons. On the lowest end of the spectrum, you’re looking at 5-6 years. This, only in situations where you go directly into graduate school after completing your BSN, and work at it full-time, always taking the maximum course load available to you.

Why would you go that route? More than likely because you know what you want, you don’t want to wait for it, and you don’t have significant other commitments competing for your time.

Most people take a more meandering path toward their MSN. They’ll do some time as an RN and work on their graduate degree taking one or two classes at a time. This can extend the timeline almost indefinitely. However, it makes sense for people who aren’t sure exactly what they want to do with their FNP career.

Note that regional restrictions can influence your experience. Some states allow FNPs to run their own practice. In this case, you are effectively a small business owner. Other states require nurse practitioners to have MD supervision. In that case, you are working in someone else's practice.

Pharmacist

Pharmacists might not have first come to mind when you began thinking about healthcare careers focused on longevity. Their relationship with patients is often indirect. The amount of personal discretion they exercise is also limited. Their basic job is to execute a strategy that a doctor-designed.

Can it be said that they are playing a pivotal role in long-term health improvements?
Sure! For one thing, pharmacists often help ensure patients understand their medications. What they do. What side effects they might encounter? What can be done about those side effects? How to store the medication. When to take the medication. How to safely take the medication.

Getting all of these things right can mean the difference between relapse and recovery. It’s maybe for this reason that the path to becoming a pharmacist is long and complex.

To become a pharmacist, you will need:

• A Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree- This typically takes 6-8 years to complete, including undergraduate prerequisites and the professional pharmacy program.
• Completion of clinical rotations in various pharmacy settings.
• Passing the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX).
• Obtaining state licensure, which may require additional exams.

For that time investment, you’ll be rewarded with an enjoyable and highly lucrative career. Pharmacists can earn around $150,000 per year, making this career the highest paying we have described in this article.

Conclusion

No article describing any aspect of professional healthcare is ever truly complete. This list may give you a good idea of what options are available to you but it ultimately paints only a very incomplete picture of what kinds of careers are available.

Physical therapy. Cardio rehab. Diabetes education. Dietitian. Neonatal nursing.  And still, there are more. Do your research. Consider also having conversations with the healthcare professionals in your life. Family and friends if that applies, or even just doctors and nurses that you interact with as a patient. “I am interested in healthcare careers that help people improve their long-term health. What would you recommend?”

Most will be happy to have a conversation, and may even be able to provide insights that reflect local needs.