If you’re in search of a rewarding career that offers solid future job prospects, Australia’s
healthcare industry is a smart place to begin your job search. In particular, the
aged care sector offers fulfilling and lucrative work with numerous available opportunities. There are multiple careers in aged care that you might want to consider, including the following:
1. Medical Administrator
As a medical administrator, you could manage an aged care facility or nursing home, overseeing its day-to-day operations and ensuring that all the residents are properly cared for. To secure a job as a medical administrator, you will most likely need to acquire a significant amount of relevant work experience plus a formal qualification in a related subject such as general medicine, nursing or business management.
2. Nursing Clinical Director
A nursing clinical director typically oversees the nursing and administrative staff in a healthcare facility. This role usually requires a bachelor’s degree or other formal qualification in nursing.
3. Personal Care Attendant
As a personal care attendant, your job would be to help elderly or disabled people accomplish tasks that they have a hard time doing on their own. In the current employment market, where demand for attendants is sometimes greater than supply, it can be possible to find rewarding work opportunities even if you do not have any formal qualifications. However, you’re likely to find that a certificate iii or iv in aged care is highly beneficial for acquiring the knowledge you need to enjoy success in this role. Some personal care attendant jobs might require you to obtain a first aid certificate or a CPR certificate to ensure you will be able to render help when it is urgently needed.
4. Aged Care Nurse
An aged care nurse is a registered nurse who specialises in gerontology. This type of nurse
typically works as part of a team to care for patients. The job typically involves interacting with other healthcare workers including doctors and allied healthcare professionals to ensure patients have proper continuity of care. This role requires formal training that could be in the form of either a university degree or Vocational Education and Training (VET).
5. Nurse Practitioner
Nurse practitioners typically have a higher level of responsibility than registered nurses do. In particular, they are able to take on some of the tasks that are commonly reserved for doctors including prescribing medications and initiating diagnostic investigations. This role requires at least a master’s degree plus a minimum of five years of nursing experience. At least three years should have been spent acquiring advanced clinical nursing experience within a particular specialisation.
6. Gerontological Physiotherapist
There are many different allied health professionals involved in the aged care sector. Of primary importance are gerontological physiotherapists, who specialise in providing physical therapy treatments to patients of advanced age. Many elderly patients experience health issues that a physiotherapist can help with including arthritis, osteoporosis and balance disorders. This career requires at least a bachelor’s degree in the field of physiotherapy, and an advanced degree would also be beneficial. Elderly people who need care rely heavily on these professionals to provide the support they need. If you would like to earn a living by helping to care for Australians of advanced age, these
These six vocations are all excellent roles to consider.
