Maybe you're a student beginning to think about what type of career might be enjoyable and last a lifetime.
Or, you could be an adult who is considering a change.
Thousands of jobs in health care are waiting for just the right person to apply, according to a news release from the Missouri Hospital Association.
The MHA, the release said, has just the tool to help potential job-seekers learn where they might fit in the workforce and direct them to the training they'll need, whether they wish to enter patient care or administration.
Missourihealthcareers.com guides visitors through a career quiz that can help determine their trajectory. The site uses a series of questions about education, income, patient interaction and other relevant interests to guide individuals to career paths that meet their preferences.
Whether you're actively seeking a new career or not, it might be worth a few minutes to take the quiz, just to see what comes up.
The first question gets right to the point about whether you are bothered by the sight of blood.
"Your co-worker cuts their hand badly and their is blood everywhere. What would you do?"
Multiple choice responses are:
A. Avoid the situation, but check on them the next day.
B. Call 911 and describe the wound to the operator.
C. Hold their other hand while applying pressure to the wound.
If you click "A," you get the message: "Not a fan of blood, that's OK!"
If you click "B," you get the message: "Love it! Remain calm and call for help."
If you click "C," you get the message: "Great answer! We need people like you."
The next question asks what salary range you would consider (from $0 to $100,000-plus).
No matter your response, the website declares you have "A paycheck with a purpose. Priceless."
The third question asks, "How often do you want to work with patients?" And offers appropriate responses.
Once the survey is complete, the website will list a number of potential careers a person might pursue.
On top of all that, the "compare careers" tool allows job-seekers to compare careers of interest side-by-side, including salary, job growth and education. The site then connects seekers with a path forward, recommending links to educational institutions and scholarship information in Missouri.
There is a wealth of opportunity for jobs in and supporting health care, the MHA news release said. Vacancy rates -- indicators not enough qualified applicants are available to fill positions -- are high in a variety of positions, according to MHA research.
"A statewide analysis finds increased vacancy and turnover rates among a majority of the health care positions surveyed," a MHA report states. "The data indicate a combined turnover rate among all professionals surveyed reached an all-time high at 21.5 percent statewide."
Nurses make up the largest number of hospital employees in Missouri. Data showed 12 percent of nursing positions remained vacant in 2020. Turnover in 2021 increased by 2 percent compared to 2020, the report said.
And 4,894 nursing positions in hospitals remain open (about 12 percent).
The vacancy rate for nurse assistants, with 1,299 openings, is 14.8 percent.
The vacancy rate for licensed practical nurses, with 291 openings, is 17.5 percent.
There are vacancies in any number of positions -- advanced practical nurse, 5 percent; employed physicians, 4.7 percent; CT (computed tomography) technologist, 6.2 percent; MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) technologies, 7 percent; medical laboratory technician, 13 percent; medical technologist, 9.8 percent; and many more.
"It's important for health care facilities to take a step back, reassess their labor needs, and develop a proactive response to staff recruitment and retention," the report states. "The topic of workforce management in health care isn't new, but COVID-19 surges brought attention to the need for hospitals to take a proactive approach."