Opinion: The importance of higher education in health care

Michael Tenneson

 "I was so sure that nursing was my calling, but I don’t think I can do it,” said an anguished first semester student in my human anatomy and physiology class after getting a D on his first lab exam. “I studied so hard, but I just couldn’t remember it all. Maybe I’m not cut out for this.”

Sadly, the transition from high school to college in any major of study is a difficult one for many students, even more so in the sciences. Many very capable young people prematurely opt out of health care-oriented majors not because they lack ability but rather because they haven’t had the training to build needed skills to master complex ideas and procedures in a short timeframe.

Fortunately, this student, whom I’ll call Toby, was not averse to hard work, and after implementing some time management and effective study approaches, he ended the course with a B-plus, completed nursing school, passed the national nursing licensing exam, and today is a highly effective and satisfied nurse in Springfield.

At graduation, Toby told me the aforementioned encounter changed the course of his professional life. He generalized the successful learning approaches he picked up in anatomy and physiology to his other theory and clinical courses. Toby’s successful journey through the fiery crucible to become a master learner is probably the most powerful incentive for those of us teaching in higher education.

All college degrees show potential employers that a given job applicant is intelligent, disciplined and can work within a structured environment. Health care degrees have even stronger benefits. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of science, technology, engineering and math occupations is expected to grow 13% between 2021 and 2031, a higher rate of increase than the average of all occupations together. Health care jobs fall into this group.

Health care systems depend on a myriad of jobs – not only medical practitioners, such as physicians, nurses, therapists, dentists, physician assistants and pharmacists, but also managers, statisticians, clinical trial managers and many other support personnel. Besides hospitals, health care employees may work for federal, state and local governments, insurance companies, nonprofit organizations, clinics or manufacturing facilities.

Not only is the number of health care jobs growing, but salaries are nearly twice the national average for all occupations – at least for health care practitioners and technical positions, according to the BLS. Those occupations, such as registered nurses, physicians, surgeons and dental hygienists, recorded a median annual wage of $74,040, when BLS last tracked it in May 2021, and the comparative wage for all U.S. jobs was $45,670. Health care professionals with undergraduate and graduate degrees earn significantly more than their peers who lack them.

As a senior health care major adviser at the university level, I have learned a lot from students who are seeking careers in challenging programs like medicine and nursing. The main motivation is the intrinsic reward of helping others. They also want to use their talents and skills like critical thinking, time management, communication, emotional intelligence, problem solving, teamwork, leadership and content literacy in their professions. Indeed, these strengths are heavily used and fine-tuned in nearly all health care jobs.

Most health care careers also provide opportunities for professional advancement and progression. We have learned that the best medical practices incorporate team approaches that improve the quality of care and increase employee morale and efficiency. Not only that, working within a health care team has the added benefit of peer-to-peer community support in stressful situations. Continued advances in technology and patient care mean that practitioners are continuously gathering new skills and learning, which keeps the work from becoming routine and repetitive.

While many people find themselves working in health care without college degrees, the opportunities for helping people in significant ways, job security, developing diverse skill sets, on-the-job advancement, an emphasis on cooperative teams and appealing opportunities to satisfy one’s curiosity make strong the link between higher education and health care.

Michael Tenneson is a professor of biology and chair of the department of natural and applied sciences at Evangel University. He can be reached at tennesonm@evangel.edu.