The health industry in New Zealand covers all aspects of health services. This includes areas such as mental health, health education, dental services, emergency health services, nursing and more. A challenging and dynamic career, there are plenty of health sciences that require both physical and theoretical skills, and positions are available for whichever career tract you are interested in. Read on to find out more about the New Zealand health industry.
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Careers in Health
Whether you wish to be in a science lab working on the latest health science breakthroughs, or on the front line as an emergency health provider, there are plenty of career options in the health sector to choose from. As one of the most important industries in any country, the health sector in New Zealand has many vacancies.
If you want to go into any of the more theoretical and mentally demanding career paths such as a medical physician or a health science researcher, you will most likely need multiple years of study to achieve this. But even if you are not so education inclined, there are plenty of opportunities to put your desire to help to practice. These include jobs such as a Health Care Assistant, Registered Nurse, or Paramedic. These positions often only require a few years of study to be able to perform the required tasks.
Careers in health can sometimes be extremely demanding, with high-pressure situations commonplace, and is constantly improving is essential. As one of the most rewarding career options out there though, most health professionals say the hard work is worth it to ensure people’s health and well-being are looked after. Although there are some positions that work outside and in irregular working environments, the majority of health work is done inside a health centre, with care being given to patients.
Health in Nw Zealand
In such an important industry, with so many broad positions available, the salary range in the New Zealand health industry ranges greatly. For example, a Paramedic salary may be between $45,000-$58,000 per year (and up to $75,000 or more with significant experience), but an experienced Pathologist salary is generally between $150,000-$216,000 per year. These differences often come with the level of education required to be qualified for the tasks required.
There are also some extremely high paying jobs in the health sector, with both a Diagnostic Radiologist salary and a Gynaecologist/Obstetrician salary earning above $600,000 per year with significant experience. However, most of these high earning jobs are very demanding and require a high level of education with post-graduate qualifications an absolute necessity.
Online Health Courses
As previously mentioned, the broad range of health careers is also reflected in the differences in courses available to study. No matter if you just want to get a health assistant job, or are looking to hold a post-graduate degree in a highly specialised field of medicine, there are plenty of health courses for you to choose from.
Certificate in Health and Wellbeing
If you are interested in a short course such as one of the many healthcare assistant courses, or just want to know how to better look after the health and safety of those around you, there are both online health courses and offline health course available. An option such as the New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Level 4) is a great choice to get you started in the health industry.
Such a Certificate in Health is a great foundation to provide you with the knowledge that will be useful in a health care assistant role, but there are also other New Zealand Certificate Level 4 courses available for more specialised roles. These health assistant qualification courses offer a baseline of knowledge that you can build on with practical experience.
Diploma Courses
For the next step up in health courses, a Diploma level qualification may be the best option. Courses such as the Diploma in Health Science are a great way of either building on your previous certificate level course, but also to gain further insight into how best to care for patients. There are also more specialised courses such as aged care courses that give you more niche information that is specifically designed for giving care to a certain type of patient. These usually take between 18-24 months of full-time study, and can usually be completed online if you live a busy lifestyle.
Bachelor Degree
A bachelor level course is usually a 3-year course that will teach you about multiple aspects of patient care, as well as give you access to further post-graduate study. These courses typically focus on theoretical scientific knowledge or prepare you to work as a Registered Nurse, or as an Emergency Paramedic. If you wish to become a medical practitioner you will need a bachelor level degree in a health science related field to have the best start.
Postgraduate Courses
To reach the highest levels of health careers, as well as the salaries that come with them, you will need a postgraduate degree. Options such as the Doctor of Medicine, or others, are required for the most specialised of health careers. Most people who go into these fields often undertake life-long education and have to constantly up-skill to remain up to date with the latest technological and scientific updates and techniques.
What Skills Do you Need to Work in Health?
Working in health can be an extremely rewarding and challenging career. With plenty of career advancement opportunities provided by the many levels of education available, there will never be a dull moment. You will need to be empathetic, sympathetic, and able to relate to people from all kinds of backgrounds. Working with people in great pain or distress requires a calming influence, and the confidence to administer care without second-guessing your decisions.
