Healthcare workers are confident in the economy and the future, according to the latest edition of the Randstad Healthcare Employee Confidence Index.
Employee confidence in the third quarter of 2013 reached 59.2 percent, the highest level among healthcare workers since the first quarter of 2012, when Randstad began tracking this segment, according to the survey of 170 healthcare professionals, conducted from July to September. However, due to the time frame of the survey, it does not account for any change in attitudes that may have occurred during the government shutdown.
About 35 percent of surveyed workers in the healthcare field believed the economy is improving, an increase from last quarter, according to the survey. Sixty-two percent of healthcare workers expressed confidence in their ability to find a new job, compared to 54 percent in the second quarter of the year, and nearly 25 percent of healthcare workers believe more jobs are available.
"Healthcare organizations continue to maneuver in the transforming healthcare environment, with executive roles such as chief medical officer and chief nursing officer particularly in high demand," Steve McMahan, executive vice president of Randstad US, Professionals and president of Randstad Healthcare, said in a statement. "Executive roles are important because these employees bring their clinical expertise and perspectives, and are instrumental in helping to develop and carry out strategies to increase patient satisfaction surveys and reduce readmission rates."
Several specialized jobs in the healthcare sector are on the rise, due in large part to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, according to ABC News, including medical records technicians (projected to grow 21 percent), physician assistants (projected to grow 30 percent) and biomedical engineers (projected to grow 62 percent).
To learn more:
- here's the survey
- read the statement
- check out the ABC News report