Not everyone has the time and money to get their bachelor’s degree in the healthcare field, especially for those who want to start their jobs fast. Fortunately, there are a handful of healthcare jobs that require minimal training, anywhere from 6 weeks to less than two years. Certified nursing assistants, medical assistants, medical secretaries, phlebotomists, and pharmacy technicians are just a few we’d like to go over with you today.

Nursing Assistant

Nursing assistants help to provide indirect care to patients, often performing routine tasks under the supervision of a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse. Responsibilities can include moving patients, cleaning rooms, setting up equipment, and reporting any changes in a patient’s condition. Nursing assistants can be found mainly in hospitals and nursing care facilities. The average salary of a nursing assistant is $25,400 annually.

Training: State certification with completion of a nursing assistant program (6 weeks to a year)

Growth rate (by 2020): 21%

Medical Assistant

A medical assistant performs office tasks as well as clinical duties in a healthcare environment. Most medical assistants work in office and clinics, although they can also be found in hospitals and outpatient care facilities. Typical responsibilities include office tasks such as answering phones, greet patients, keep track of medical records, and scheduling appointments while clinical duties include taking blood pressure, preparing equipment, and assisting physicians with minor procedures. The average medical assistant’s salary is right around $30.170 per year.

Training: A diploma or certificate from a formal medical assisting program

Growth rate (by 2020): 29%

Medical Secretary

Medical secretaries help to assist with day to day medical office management. This can include tasks such as administrative support, training staff, operating phones and computers, ordering supplies, writing letters, scheduling appointments, and scheduling lab procedures. It might sound similar to the roles of a medical assistant but a medical secretary focuses primarily on office tasks. Medical secretaries can be found in medical offices, hospitals, and other healthcare settings. The average medical secretary makes $32,430 a year.

Training: A diploma or certificate from a certified technical/vocational school or community colleges

Growth rate (by 2020): 20%

Phlebotomist 

Don’t be intimidated by the name, phlebotomists are responsible for drawing blood for tests, transfusions, blood donations, venipuncture, specimen collection, and research. Okay it might not be the most glamorous job out there but if you aren’t afraid of blood and other bodily fluids then this is a great choice for a job. You can find most phlebotomists in hospitals, medical laboratories, blood donor centers, and physicians’ offices and the average phlebotomist makes about $29,730 a year.

Training: A diploma/certificate from a phlebotomy program in order to become professionally certified

Growth rate (by 2020): 27%

Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy technicians help to support pharmacists by performing tasks such as prescription filling, taking customer orders, and counting out medication. You probably already guessed already but you can find pharmacy technicians in pharmacies, although this includes drug stores and hospitals. The median annual wage rounds out at $29,300.

Training: Completion of a pharmacy technician program or on-the-job training (depending on state)

Growth rate (by 2020): 20%

To find out more about becoming a certified nursing assistant and taking classes online, you can visit this site for more information.

###
Top Healthcare Jobs That Require Minimal Training