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Health care job market unfazed by economy

In an economy that has shed thousands of jobs in the past year, health care has been one of the few bright spots.

Most recently, the economy shrank by 20,000 jobs in April, but education and health services added 52,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Experts say the demand for pharmacists, nurses and other health care professionals will continue to grow as the nation’s population ages — and that better medical care means people with chronic health problems will live longer. Wider use of medical technology and diagnostic tests also means more workers are needed to man the machines and run the tests.

When it comes to job shortages in the health care field, nursing has been the poster child for the past decade.

Advanced practice nurses and critical care nurses are among the workers that Melissa Beckler, hiring manager for Nemours, finds the toughest to recruit.

The child health system, which employs about 4,000 people, is sending recruiters to more job fairs around the country. To attract speech, physical and occupational therapists, who are in high demand, it is offering sign-on bonuses of up to $10,000 and paying off up to $10,000 in student loans.

Medical technology is another fast-growing field.

Graduates of the University of Delaware’s medical technology program, for example, find themselves in high demand.

The four-year program trains students to operate diagnostic equipment to test for conditions such as diabetes or prostate cancer.

Meredith Hollinger, who is doing her pharmacy residency at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del., says the employment outlook for pharmacists was one of the reasons she chose that field.

The Woodbury, N.J., native is pursuing post-graduate training at Christiana, where she makes rounds as part of a team of doctors and nurses.

“Right now, I’m probably leaning toward working in a hospital,” Hollinger said.