How Do I Get There?
There are a range of healthcare occupations and therefore a variety of paths to follow to reach the career of your choice. Entry-level healthcare occupations typically require some post-secondary training and often require job-specific licensing. Make sure you research your specific occupation ahead of time so that you know you will meet these requirements.
Training options for healthcare professions include private training school, college, and university. See the lists below for a better idea of which post-secondary destination is right for you.
Private Training
Atlantic College of Therapeutic Massage – Fredericton & Dieppe
- Massage Therapy
- Sports Massage
Atlantic School of Reflexology – Fredericton
- Foot Reflexology
Canadian Red Cross Society – Saint John
- Home Support Worker/ Special Care Attendant
Canadian School of Natural Nutrition
- Natural Nutrition
Care-Ed Learning Centre
- Foot Care Management
- Personal Care Aide
- Personal Support Worker 2
DaVinci College of Art & Design
- Veterinary Hospital Assistant
Eastern College
- Massage Therapy
- Personal Support Worker
- Veterinary Assistant
Medavie HealthEd
- Primary Care Paramedic
Oulton College – Moncton
- Dental Assistant
- Dental Hygiene
- Health Care Support
- Licensed Practical Nurse
- Medical Laboratory Assistant
- Optician
- Pharmacy Technician
- Primary Care Paramedicine
- Veterinary Technician
Public College
New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) offers a variety of programs specializing in healthcare professions including:
- Medical Laboratory Assistant
- Medical Laboratory Technologist
- Personal Support Worker – Acute Care
- Pharmacy Technician
- Practical Nurse
- Respiratory Therapy
Collège communautaire de Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB) offers similar Health Sciences programs in French.
University
Universities in New Brunswick offer a range of degrees focused on healthcare. Healthcare professionals often begin with an undergraduate program in sciences or health sciences, followed by a number of years of classroom and technical training, as well as graduate-level programs where applicable. Progression to management positions is possible with experience. General Medical (GM) professionals, for instance, require a Bachelor’s degree, acceptance into and completion of a medical graduate program, as well as a number of years of specialized residency training in order to complete the requirements to become fully licensed in New Brunswick.
Some examples of university programs in New Brunswick are:
UNB Programs
- Health Sciences
- Radiation Therapy
- Radiography
- Respiratory Therapy
- Nursing
- Science
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Psychology
- Applied Health Sciences Research
Mount Allison University
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Psychology
Crandall University
- Bachelor of Science in Biology
Université de Moncton (Programs offered in French)
- Health Sciences and Community Services
- Science: Chemistry, Biology, Respiratory Therapy, etc.
- Psychology
- Nursing Science
Health Occupations
This category includes occupations concerned with providing health care services directly to patients and occupations that provide support to professional and technical staff.
When conducting labour market research in areas where occupations are defined by a 4 digit NOC (National Occupational Classification) code, the first digit of the code for all health occupations is 3.
Is a career in Health a good fit for me?
A career in healthcare will appeal to those who enjoy working with and helping others. Those who work in healthcare are generally earning good wages (7.7% higher than other industries in N.B.)*, but they also carry a lot of responsibility. They are often faced with difficult situations, and the decisions they make can have very serious implications...in some cases life or death. They are in a position to help those who need it, which can be extremely rewarding. On the other hand, they are sometimes required to provide information and services to clients with serious or terminal conditions, which can be emotionally draining. Healthcare is a service that is available to the public year round, 24 hours a day which means that many professionals in the field are required to work shift work, including nights, weekends and holidays. With an ageing population in NB, many jobs in healthcare are in demand,offer stability, and show solid job growth (projected at 17.3% from 2015 – 2024)*. These careers would also appeal to those who enjoy variety, dealing with many different people, as well as a variety of healthcare settings such as private practice offices, hospitals, schools, community care centres, and rehabilitation centres.
*Source: A Profile of the Healthcare and Social Assistance Sector in New Brunswick http://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/petl-epft/PDF/PopGrowth/Healthcare.pdf
Still unsure?
Resources for Careers in Health
For detailed Labour Market Information on Health positions, including all job titles in this category:
Province of New Brunswicks Occupational Profiles
Additional Resources
Overview of Healthcare Sector in New Brunswick (January 2016)
Comprehensive list of Healthcare Occupations in Canada http://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/NOC/English/NOC/2011/Occupations.aspx?val=3
Career profiles by category and job prospects for healthcare occupations in New Brunswick:
N.B. Department of Health http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/health/contacts/dept_renderer.141.html#contacts
Vitalité Health Network
Horizon Health Network
New Brunswick Medical Society
WorkSafe NB
New Brunswick Health Research Foundation
New Brunswick Wellness Strategy
GNB Wellness Tip Cards http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/social_development/wellness/content/home.html#tips
Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine
What Skills Do I Need?
A review of job advertisements across New Brunswick for Health related positions revealed that employers are consistently asking for the following Essential Skills:
- Oral Comminucation- Communication skills were certainly the most sought after skill at all levels of health positions, from administrative to specialist physicians.
- Thinking Skills- This includes the ability to make decisions, problem solve, organize and prioritize work. These skills were also a requirement in each of the posted positions in healthcare.
- Teamwork- Teamwork and collaboration was another skill frequently requested by employers. Many health professionals are required to work within interdisciplinary teams and being able to work with others is of utmost importance.
Other skills requested, but less frequently than those listed above were:
- Computer skills- Approximately half of the advertised positions listed strong computer skills as a requirement for the position.
- Reading/ Writing- Surprisingly not all postings listed reading and writing as a requirement, however maintaining records, writing reports, and the ability to follow written instructions accurately were identified as some of the duties of the position which would certainly require these skill sets.
- Continuous learning- Employers also requested that potential applicants were willing to maintain up to date knowledge of practices and emerging treatments.
Other skills most frequently included by employers were:
- Being responsible and accountable
- Flexible
- Patient/Client Focus or Customer Service skills
- Strong attention to detail
- High regard for confidentiality
- Remaining calm in stressful situations
- Ability to empathize
- The ability to follow written instructions accurately
Landing a Job in Healthcare
To secure a position in Healthcare you will need to highlight the skills that employers are looking for from their potential candidates. The previous section on skills will help you recognize the most sought after skills. If there are areas you feel you need to work on, it would be a good idea to practice.
For detailed information on how to conduct an effective job search, visit the job search section of our website by clicking here
In order to prepare for an interview in Healthcare it would be a great idea to think of a time when you have demonstrated each of the skills listed above. Here are some additional questions for healthcare positions to help you prepare:
- Why did you choose to work in healthcare profession?
- Tell me about a time when you had to deal with an irate physician. What happened?
- There is a patient who is verbally abusive. What do you do?
- Do you have experience working with diverse populations? Can you give me an example?
- Describe a time when you had to make an important decision in a high pressure situation.
- What do you think are the most challenging aspects of meeting patients' needs?
- How do you handle a request you disagree with?
- Can you describe a time when you had to intervene for a patient, what you did, and why? What was the outcome?
- Can you describe a time you went beyond the call of duty?
- Have you ever been in a situation in which a co-worker put a patient in jeopardy? If so, what did you do about it?
- What was your favorite clinical experience? Least favorite? Why?
- Are you on-line often? What are your favorite sites for reliable health care information?
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