Choosing Careers in Health and Social Care
Whether you have just graduated university with a degree in medicine and are keen to start working, or are simply interested in a change of careers, health and social care might just be for you! This is career that has an enormous variety of different fields to apply to, but more than often handles very complicated relationships in all types of situations. The health care aspect relates mainly to the NHS, with social care referring more to the domesticity of the patients and their home lives. Both, however, have a mutual understanding that the care and well-being of the client or patient is absolutely crucial.
But what do you need to apply for health and social care jobs? And what do you gain from a career in this particular sector? Well, as with a lot of employment, it often begins with achieving a degree in a relevant subject- however, as health and care is so broad this can relate to a lot of different subjects. Within itself, there are at least 6 different fields of study to do with this career: Ethics, nutrition, law and social policy, social and educational activities and biology.
During the university process, you will have been offered work placements when studying health and social care, allowing you to fully experience the stressful environments of hospitals and other care facilities. It may indeed be possible to get jobs from your previous work experience as well, if your trials there were successful and positive. Having connections in a medical career is vital if you wish to thrive in either the NHS or the private sector. Alternatively, following your initial university graduation you may decide to pursue further qualifications and courses, leading to other positions of employment that were previously inaccessible.
In terms of the benefits of working in the health and social care, the NHS provides support for those with children and families, as well as a good pension scheme. A job in social care especially rewards you emotionally, as you are helping the community, and the standards of the community as a whole to progress and improve. As technology improves, employment in health and social care becomes strikingly more interesting; new developments are made to maximise the quality of life of those that are most vulnerable and at risk. There are now more and more cost-effective solutions that are non-stigmatising, as well as successful and simple!