Caring Careers: Meaningful Jobs To Help People

While it's important that you find a career that provides some financial security and stability, you'll want to make sure that whatever you do, it's personally fulfilling as well. It's why many people look for jobs that involve helping people. The following are a few careers that help people that you might want to consider pursuing:

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

An LPN is a type of nurse that can work in a variety of settings helping people. They often work for doctors and RNs (registered nurses). While many LPNs do work in hospital settings, the majority of LPNs tend to work in long-term care, whether it's at a nursing home or at the home of a patient in the case of in-home care. LPNs have a lot of responsibilities that include measuring vital signs, administering medication, dressing wounds, collecting fluid samples, maintaining medical records and observing patients. However, their daily interaction with patients requires that they have empathy, patience, attention to detail, and communication skills.

LPN programs don't take quite as long to complete as RN programs, which means that you can become an LPN within a shorter period of time and without having to invest as much time or money into an education. Most LPN programs take between 12 and 18 months to complete and to earn a certificate.

Registered Nurse (RN)

To become officially licensed, an RN must pass the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses). However to sit for boards, you're going to need a nursing bachelor's degree, a nursing associate's degree or a diploma from a nursing school.

The majority of RNs are employed in hospital settings. Not only do they have many of the responsibilities of an LPN, but they also have more administrative duties and are often required to do more critical thinking on the job. As an RN, you can expect to work closely with physicians, which means you'll help with the coordination and planning of a patient's care, speak with patient family members, and perform a variety of administrative duties.

Early Childhood Educator

Early childhood educators work with children between the ages of three and five. Because this age range is a key time in the development of a child, early childhood educators play a prominent role in how they develop. As an early childhood educator, you would be responsible for helping children to develop their language, motor, and social skills through a variety of activities. This must be done on a strict schedule so that you can provide a structured routine that will promote learning and development.

Additionally, because you will be supervising young children, you will be responsible for maintaining a safe and comfortable environment as well as providing the discipline that is appropriate. You will also need to be able to address special needs. To become an early childhood educator, certification is needed.

Medical Assistant

Medical assistants help both doctors and nurses with a variety of clinical and administrative work, including things like patient care, patient preparation, injections, scheduling, appointment setting, and more. Medical assistant responsibilities tend to vary depending on where they work, which can include hospitals, clinics, outpatient care centers, and more. Certification is needed in order to become a professional medical assistant.

These are all jobs that involve helping people. What makes them particularly attractive is that traditional four-year degrees are not needed for these jobs. If you're interested in pursuing a career that helps people, then be sure to contact us at Athena Career Academy in Toledo, OH, for information about our nursing, medical assistant, and early childhood education programs today.