Connecticut Healthcare Jobs as Nursing Aides Available
Anyone looking for a Connecticut healthcare job may want to consider a position as a nursing aide.
There are currently 23,670 nursing aides in the State of Connecticut, according to an article by the Connecticut Department of Labor. That number is projected to reach 26,560 by 2014. An average of 540 job openings per year is expected.
As of July 2008, Connecticut’s healthcare and social assistance industry employed 239,100 workers, an increase of 2.5 percent from last year.
The average starting wage for a nursing aide in Connecticut is $11.80 per hour, and the average wage for these workers is $14.20 per hour. Most nursing aides work in nursing and personal care facilities, public healthcare agencies, hospitals and as home healthcare providers.
Nursing aides provide hands-on care and perform routine tasks under the supervision of nursing and medical staff. Some nursing aides may help other medical staff by setting up equipment, storing and moving supplies and assisting with some procedures.
Nursing aides employed in nursing care facilities are often principal caregivers for patients, and have more contact with residents than other staff members.
Most nursing aides are trained through technical high schools, private occupational schools, hospital-affiliated schools, nursing care facilities and community colleges. A high school diploma and good communication skills are required for most nursing aide jobs, and some jobs may require on-the-job training or experience.
In 2006, healthcare was the largest industry in the country, creating 14 million jobs, 13.6 million jobs for wage and salary workers and 438,000 self-employed positions. Of the 20 fastest growing occupations, seven are in the healthcare indsutry.
The healthcare industry is expected to create 3 million new wage and salary jobs through 2016, more than any other industry.
About 580,000 establishments make up the healthcare industry, including hospitals, nursing and residential care facilities, offices of physicians, offices of dentists, home healthcare services, offices of other health practitioners, outpatient care centers, other ambulatory healthcare services and medical and diagnostic laboratories.
Almost 77 percent of healthcare establishments are offices of physicians, dentists or other health practitioners, and although hospitals make up 1 percent of all healthcare establishments, they employ 35 percent of workers in the industry.