There is a lot more to a healthcare career than doctors and nurses.

Even a quick look at any healthcare recruitment agency website will give food for thought in terms of a multitude of alternative careers.

When most people think of job roles in healthcare they probably think of doctors, nurses and other frontline specialists. However the reality of working in healthcare is that there is a huge variety of work in support of the frontline health professionals. Jobs in this sector are growing because the Irish population is, like the rest of the developed World, an aging demographic.

Here are four top job roles in demand at any healthcare job recruitment agency,

•  Pharmacists and supervising pharmacists. Of course pharmacists distribute medications and drugs from the prescription written by doctors. Furthermore they are an invaluable source of information and advise around non-prescription drugs. The entry qualifications for this role are chemistry ‘A’ level plus two others, a degree in pharmacy, a year of practical training and a pass of the registration examine for the Pharmaceutical Society.  
• Nurses. Nursing is being involved in the lives of others caring for them in times of need. Nursing is a vocation and not just a job. It your whole personal life. Training to be a nurse takes four years of your life to gain a professional qualification and a degree. But it is a gateway to many fulfilling years of caring and building a career that’s satisfying and well rewarded.  
• Mental health workers. The job described by the title of ‘community mental health worker’ is such a broad one and it covers any career that has a central function on the betterment of a people’s mental health. The career itself can be located in a hospital, patient’s home, agency health centre, private practice or a health clinic. Mental health workers need a degree in nursing with several years of relevant practical work and to become registered to qualify as a working nurse.  
• Medical researchers carry out studies on the pathology of human illness. They test empirically, remedies, vaccines and drugs in order to support medical progress. Degree level qualifications in science are the route to this field of employment.