The best courses for careers in care and healthcare

If you’ve been considering a move into the care industry, but weren’t too sure how to go about it, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best courses for careers in care.

With so many vulnerable people in the UK, the role of a carer is really important. People with careers in care play a vital role for so many families who aren’t able to provide their loved ones with the necessary aid that they require. And while it can involve a lot of hard work, a career in care can be incredibly rewarding. 

If you’re looking at a career in care, but you aren’t sure where to start, we have you covered. From the different roles available to you in care, through to the different skills you might require, whatever your choice is, you’ll have to have some training beforehand. 

Taking a course in preparation for your career in care is a really great way to get to grips with the various intricacies that come with care. But with so many different courses out there, how do you go about choosing the right one? Read on to find out all about the best courses for careers in care. 

What is the care industry?

So, just what does the care industry entail? To put it simply, it involves supplying patient and scarer recipients with essential healthcare and assistance in their daily lives. This can mean helping patients to maintain independence, encouraging social interaction, and protecting them from certain situations. 

This is a very broad definition of this industry, as there are many different sectors that you could choose from – so whether you want to focus on cancer care in elderly patients or look at the technology that is transforming this industry, there’ll be something for you. Plus, there’s a choice between whether you provide care to young or old, able or not, which opens up even more avenues.

With so many options, there will likely be a role in the care industry that would suit you. It’s an industry that contributes £46.2 billion to the UK economy as well, making it an important and relatively lucrative industry to enter. Rewarding, diverse, and offering the chance for extensive teamwork, the care industry has it all. 

What kind of careers are there in care?

As we’ve mentioned, there are many different careers that you can find in care. Depending on what you’re interested in, who you want to work with, and where you want to do this work will end up dictating how you go about choosing your career in care. 

The careers in care that are available to you vary from direct care roles that could include careers in rehabilitation and advocacy, through to managerial roles which will suit if you know how to be a good manager, through to careers covering welfare rights, housing support, and administration and finance. 

And that’s only scratching the surface of the possible careers available to you in care. You could also consider a role in a regulated profession, such as nursing, social work, counselling or therapy. These roles require you to have been formally registered and to have the necessary qualifications to practice in these fields. 

If none of those suits, but you like the sound of the environment you might end up working in, then there are a whole host of ancillary roles available. Whether it’s a kitchen-based role you are tempted by, or you want to take charge of transport and become a transport manager, there are even opportunities here. 

What sort of skills will I need?

As with many roles in other industries, the skills you require for a career in care will differ depending on which role you choose. While many roles require specific qualifications, there are also some essential skills that are required in any career in care. Let’s take a look at some of the essential skills for the care industry.

• Interpersonal skills – care is an industry where you work with people. They could be your patients, or they could be your colleagues, but at the end of the day, you’ll want to be able to communicate properly with them. Communication and interpersonal skills are essential to succeeding in the care industry, as anticipating needs is really important.
• Decision making and problem-solving – you’ll often find yourself in a situation where you have to make a quick and speedy decision. Choosing the best problem to solve is integral to your success in the care industry, as you’ll often be put on the spot with multiple patients to consider. 
• Organisation and planning – in the care industry, you might be responsible for many different aspects of your patient’s lives. A successful career in care requires you to have exemplary organisation and planning skills in order to care for your patient effectively. 
• Digital skills – as the world becomes more reliant on technology, the care industry also requires you to tap into various digital skills. From finding information on a server to monitoring systems and handling assistive technologies, digital skills are becoming really important in the world of care.

The best courses for careers in care and healthcare

Let’s jump straight into a rundown of some of the best courses for careers in care. You can start any one of our ExpertTracks or free online courses today and work at your own pace. Some of these courses are more general, whereas others are more focused on specific careers in the care industry.

Public health and nursing

After the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that there were untenable demands being placed on public health and nursing systems. Explore how nurses contribute to public health and their roles in the care industry by enrolling on our ExpertTrack. You’ll find out what good public health looks like – as well as the bad.

How to launch and grow your career in the wellness industry with Welltodo

The wellness industry is growing at a very fast rate, and is inextricably linked to the world of care.Those who practice healthy habits on a daily basis often have better physical and mental health outcomes.  

While it may well be fast-growing, knowing how to launch and grow your career in the wellness industry is easier said than done. By enrolling on this in depth ExpertTrack, you’ll learn how to get started in this industry and grow your skills too.

Team building and transformational leadership: How to get ahead in healthcare leadership and management

If you’re looking to learn how to enhance your healthcare management skills by using practical leadership and personal development, then our ExpertTrack in team building and transformational leadership will furnish you with all the necessary skills and supercharge your career. It lets you reflect on your own qualities, and look at the ones you might need to work on.

Quality improvement in healthcare

Improving quality in healthcare has long been a priority in the care industry. From the challenges of looking at better organisation to lack of funding, it all boils down to one main reason – complexity. Our quality improvement in healthcare, CPD-certified, course will let you explore new ways of organising health services and improving their quality as a result. 

Improving healthcare through clinical research

Everything in the care industry needs to be thoroughly tested before it can be implemented and used on patients. This is known as clinical research. Improving healthcare through clinical research involves looking at how research contributes to the treatment of major diseases, and how the research and results are evaluated to improve the quality of care.  

Psychological first aid

Mental health is a central part of the care industry. In our psychological first aid online course, you’ll learn the globally recommended training for supporting people, in particular children and young people, during times of crisis. Find out about what psychological first aid is, and how people respond to emergencies and crises. 

Introduction to critical care medicine

Critical care is an emerging discipline in hospitals across the world, as the population increases and more people require critical care. In our free online course, introduction to critical care medicine, you’ll grapple with understanding how complex issues can be handled effectively, and focus on certain illnesses and ailments that occur frequently. 

Discover dentistry

Most, if not all of us, have teeth. And looking after them is extremely important. That’s where dentistry steps in. With our discover dentistry course, you’ll learn about the different roles, aspects of tooth anatomy, the many different specialisms available to you, and the morals and ethics of dental treatment. 

Antimicrobial stewardship

Antibiotics are essential if you ever fall ill. There are instances where people have immunity and have antibiotic resistance. Our course in antimicrobial stewardship will help you understand antibiotic resistance, along with the relationship with prescribing and will furnish you with knowledge of proven examples of successful antimicrobial stewardship. 

Global health and disability

Around 15% of the world’s population suffer from some kind of disability, and this number is expected to rise. Our free online course in global health and disability will raise awareness about the importance of the well-being of people with disabilities in the broader global care industry. 

Human factors in a healthcare environment

Human factors can have a huge impact on general safety, and considering how humans interact in the workplace can elucidate just how mistakes could occur. This course in human factors in a healthcare environment will permit you to learn about systems that could preempt the inevitability of human error and improve patient safety in a care setting. 

Health technology assessment

Medicinal assessment is incredibly important. Knowing how effective the treatment will be, as well as how they could be adopted by someone in the care industry is essential. In our online course, health technology assessment, we’ll take you through how you adequately assess which patients should have access to which treatments and the considerations surrounding them.  

The genomics era: the future of genetics in medicine 

Genetics has been taking the care industry by storm. By enrolling in our course looking at the genomics era, you’ll gain an awareness of new genomic technologies and the data they create, as well as the challenges you might face when charged with making appropriate referrals and proper patient decisions. 

Measuring and valuing health

Healthcare systems the world over are under continued pressure to find and develop new drugs and treatments. On our course in measuring and valuing health, you’ll find out how health outcome measuring can help make more informed decisions about where to spend budgets. You’ll also learn about patient reported outcome measures that will compare treatments.   

Final thoughts

Choosing a career in care can be a life-changing experience. You’ll come across so many people from so many different walks of life in whatever role you end up choosing, and you’ll end up with a really solid grounding in how the healthcare system, as well as many other systems affiliated with the world of care, works, and what’s being done to change it.

In addition, you’ll be tasked with helping people, some of whom are vulnerable, which makes the care industry one of the most rewarding industries that you could choose to work in. Plus, you’ll not only find out about how illness and ailments affect others, but you’ll likely end up more attuned to your own body, and your own experience. 

So why not enrol in one of our courses if you’re looking to start your own career in care? We have a range of options, varying from free courses that last a couple of weeks through to more in-depth ExpertTracks that can last 10 weeks or more. There’s a level for everyone