4 Certificate Programs That Can Get You A High Paying Jobs In Less Than A Year
What Is a Certificate Program?
A certificate program gives excellent training to help you develop the talents and expertise needed for a demanding job. There are certificates for careers in various industries, including healthcare, administration, and information technology (IT).
These programs can be helpful for people who are just starting their careers and people who already have years of experience and want to expand their skills. Also, who for those looking for a mid-life career change.
You can obtain some certificates in as little as a few months. They also lead to minimum cost than degree programs.
Why Get a Certificate?
There are numerous advantages to completing a certificate program. If you are starting your job search, completing a certificate program can even help you stand out in the job market.
For example, several healthcare certificate programs help people develop talents and knowledge principles necessary for entry into the healthcare industry.
Consider that certificates are not the same as professional licenses and certifications. Instead, they need for particular jobs, such as teaching and cosmetology.
Certifications prove that a person has obtained skills in a distinct field. These certifications typically involve taking an exam. Sometimes you can take a certificate program to help you prepare for a license or certification.
Let’s see what certification programs in the healthcare field can get a high salary in less than a year.
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurse
Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) and Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN) provide hands-on care to patients under the direction of a registered nurse or a physician.
To become an LPN or LVN, you should complete an accredited learning program particular to the field and receive a diploma or certificate. Technical schools, community colleges, and some high schools and hospitals offer these programs, typically completed in about one year.
Most LPNs provide primary bedside care. For example, they monitor vital signs such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration. They also treat bedsores, prepare and give injections and enemas, apply dressings, give alcohol rubs and massages, apply ice packs and hot water bottles, monitor catheters, and care for their emotional needs.
Licensed practical nurses observe patients and report conflicting reactions to medications or treatments. They collect samples for testing, perform regular lab tests, serve patients, and record food and watery intake and output. In states where the authority permits, they may help prescribe medicines.
Some licensed practical nurses help deliver, care for and feed newborns. In addition, experienced LPNs may supervise nursing assistants and aides.
Most licensed practical nurses in hospitals and nursing homes work more than 35-hour a week, but some work nights, weekends, and holidays because patients need continuous care. They usually work for long times and help patients move in bed, stand or walk.
Salary Range and Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, licensed practical nurses earn a median salary of $48,000 a year. However, wages will differ according to education, experience, geographic location, and the type of facility. From 2019 to 2029, the job outlook for LPNs and LVNs expect to grow 9%. It is much faster than the average for all other careers.
Medical Records Coder
Median annual salary: $44,090
A medical coder is one of the more popular certifications that pay well for those looking for attractive educational opportunities. Medical coders are in demand as healthcare organizations need qualified individuals to translate and communicate medical content.
Shortly, medical records coders are responsible for organizing, managing, and coding patient health information for insurance reimbursement or data analysis. Medical records coders analyze and interpret the patient’s history to determine the proper standardized codes representing the patient’s diagnosis and treatment. These codes may be used for billing purposes, creating accurate, standardized records, and maintaining health statistics.
Medical records coders work in hospitals, clinics, insurance agencies, and government offices.
Particular training programs are essential to learning how to utilize the software for this position. It’s also helpful to have a deep knowledge of medical records, database management, and medical terms.
Suppose you want to enter the medical records coding field. In that case, you need to take a medical billing and coding training or education program to prepare for the Certified Billing and Coding Specialist exam – a national certification offered by the National Healthcareer Association. These training and education programs can complete in less than one year.
In addition to the general college curricular admission requirements, a personal interview with the faculty advisor needs advising before enrollment in the first HIM course. Courses need to take in the sequence listed or informed. Students will be required to repeat any procedure in which a grade lower than “C” is received.
According to the BLS, job opportunities for medical records coders expect to grow 8% from 2019-2029, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.
The need for medical records coders will continue to increase as the health field addresses reimbursement challenges and moves toward a focus on quality improvement related to health care services.
Personal Trainer
Median annual salary: $40,510
Personal trainers can instruct and motivate people during exercise activities like cardio, weightlifting, and stretching. In addition, they can create exercises and advise their clients for fitting techniques, offering changes as needed.
Some companies may favor hiring a personal trainer with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in health or fitness. So, it is desirable to work as a personal trainer with a high school diploma and one or more certifications correlated to the training type you will offer. For example, a certification requirement may include obtaining cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification and automated external defibrillator certification.
Personal training is a high-paying career that can earn more by building your client base, working for a high-paying organization, or training higher-paying clients.
This career will need qualifications to teach physical health techniques to clients, and many personal trainers have backgrounds in exercise science, nutrition, and other related fields. Certification programs are available for personal training, including three-month certificate programs, six-month certificate programs, and different short certificate programs. Many online certificate programs are available as well, which join online and physical education.
Generally, successful personal trainers are physically fit, stay current on fitness and nutrition trends, and have the appropriate attitude to motivate and encourage others. Personal trainers can work at public gyms, private fitness facilities, in clients’ homes, or through virtual coaching, giving you different options for profit. They should also have a strong work ethic, as it requires time and commitment to building a client base.
According to the BLS, job growth for personal trainers expects to grow 15% from 2019-2029. So it is pretty faster than the average for all careers.
Surgical Technologist
Median annual salary: $49,710
Surgical technologists, aka operating room technicians, include the surgeon(s), anesthesiologist, and circulating nurse. They are responsible for various tasks before, during, and after surgery. Surgical technologists primarily accomplish the first scrub role. For example, they help prepare operating rooms for surgery by sterilizing equipment and ensuring surgery supplies such as drapes, gowns, gloves, suction tubing are fully stocked and available before an operation.
Additionally, they are responsible for washing and sanitizing the surgery places of patients before surgery and for passing instruments and sanitary supplies to surgeons during surgery.
Next, surgical technologists collect the sterilized tools, check to assure it is all working correctly, and make adjustments as needed.
They support the surgeon by putting on their gown and gloves and helping the surgeon place the sterile drapes on the patient to form a clean area.
During the surgical procedure, the surgical technologist is responsible for many tasks. They have to anticipate the surgeon’s needs by passing instruments and providing supplies such as sponges, performing counts of the sponge, sharps, and tools.
Additionally, providing solutions and medications to the surgeon, receiving tissue specimens to be passed off to the circulator, and ensuring no breaks in sterile technique prevent the patient from acquiring a surgical site infection.
Surgical technologists may fulfill the assistant circulator role based on state law and hospital policy. In this role, a technologist assists in carrying patients to the operating room helps position the patient on the operating table, and prepares the patient for surgery by doing the skin prep of the surgery sites.
During this, the surgical technologist will help with taking additional supplies that the first scrub surgical technologist needs, such as sponges or stitches. And also help with counts; replace full suction containers; provide sterile dressings at the end of the procedure, and assist with moving the patient from the operating room table to the bed for transport to the recovery room.
When not in the operating room, surgical technologists work in clean, well-lighted, relaxed environments.
The surgical technologist may have to “pull” emergency call with the other surgical team members. If there is an emergency like a car accident or a pregnant mother requiring a Cesarean section, team members on-call must come in, no matter what time of the day or night.
Surgical technologists work under the shifting authority and guidance of the surgeon except forbidden by state law or hospital administration.
Educational qualifications to become a surgical technologist differ but typically include getting a diploma, certificate, or associate’s degree from an authorized program. Programs continue wherever from a few months to two years.
Surgical technologists train community and junior colleges, middle schools, universities, hospitals, and the military. A program can take from 12 months (for a certificate) to two years (for an associate degree) to complete. Still, many require applicants to have taken and passed prerequisite courses, including anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, and microbiology.
BLS data says that, between 2019 and 2029, surgical technologists are expected to grow 7%, or faster than the average for all careers.
