Continuing Education in the Healthcare Field

If you’re looking into healthcare as a first or second career, it’s natural to consider what your options are for continuing your education. Of course you’re in the market to advance your career, since you’ve already come this far. No matter which Joyce program you choose, many career options are available for you, meaning you get to pick which one aligns best with your skill set, goals, personality, and professional background. We’ve put together just a snippet of the opportunities nurses and occupational therapy assistants can look forward to after graduation.

Occupational Therapy Assistant

Occupational therapy assistants have several advantages among their peers. In fact, this field is projected to grow 34% over the next decade, making occupational therapy assisting among the fastest growing professions in the nation. Beyond job security, OTAs may wish to advance their careers. As with many other healthcare professions, this means specialization.

The American Occupational Therapy Association has a robust offering of continuing education available to OTAs. Common topics include:

• Children and youth
• Health and wellness
• Mental health
• Productive aging
• Rehabilitation and disability
• Work and industry

You’ll find classes like “Stroke Help-Functional Treatment Ideas & Strategies in Adult Hemiplegia” and “Sensory Processing Concepts and Applications in Practice.” Successfully completing these types of classes will help you demonstrate competency in the specialty of your choice.

Nursing

You can be a nurse with an associate degree (RN), but many nurses are choosing to continue their education and obtain a bachelor’s degree (BSN) to open up more job opportunities and increase salary potential, and nurses seeking leadership positions are looking to masters of nursing degree programs.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Obtaining a bachelor’s degree is of huge advantage in nursing, especially if you’re interested in future leadership positions. You can start work as soon as you pass the NCLEX with an associate degree; however, with more hospitals hiring only nurses with BSNs, pursuing the extra education for a bachelor’s degree is a great career investment. For career changers looking to move into the nursing profession, an accelerated BSN program is the fast-track choice to get you in the field in just 5 semesters.

Master of Science in Nursing

These graduate-degree nurses are trained in advanced clinical practice and leadership, preparing them for management and leadership in a variety of settings. Masters prepared nurses can go on to pursue nursing specialties which opens even more opportunities for advanced practice jobs and increased salary potential. For bachelor’s degree holders in a non-nursing field, our direct-entry MSN allows you to apply your bachelors toward an masters in nursing in as little as 3 years.

Nursing is a versatile profession, but it helps to have a focus or specialty. Popular nursing specialties include:

• Certified nurse midwife
• Clinical nurse specialist
• Critical care nurse
• Diabetes nurse
• Family nurse practitioner
• Gerontological nurse practitioner
• Health policy nurse
• Informatics nurse

The American Board of Nursing Specialties has a list of approved certification programs. The American Nursing Association is another great resource for continuing education.

Related resource: Highest Paying Nurse Specialties