remote public health jobs

remote public health jobs

The Importance of Remote Public Health Jobs

1. Introduction

What have been the most significant changes in the health field in the past 40 years? Without a doubt, one of the biggest changes has been the shift to an information economy from an industrial one. In the developed world, we have moved from an economy that was based primarily in agriculture and industry to one that depends on technology and information. This has an impact on all sectors and industries, but is especially relevant to the health field. As can be seen in developed countries, technology has become the most valuable type of capital and resource, particularly information technology (IT) which is vital to managing and delivering health care. This essay will outline the changes in the health industry, and how the use of IT has led to the creation of remote public health jobs. It will conclude with a discussion on the potential changes in public health jobs and quality of work in the next 10 years.

2. Advantages of Remote Public Health Jobs

Current and future public health workers in all sectors who wish to explore more flexible job opportunities should seriously consider remote positions. This forum will provide insight into the types of work available in public health today, discuss advantages of remote work, and offer steps for getting a foot in the door. With the vast array of settings and populations that are targeted in the field today, public health offers a wide range of diverse work environments. Whether a public health professional prefers to work in an academic setting, at a biotech company, for a non-profit, or government agency, all of these options are available with the added flexibility of working from home. It’s a good idea to scope out the various types of public health jobs the government, private, and non-profit sectors have to offer before building a career. During the past few years, the demand for public health workers has continued to rise to address a broad range of health problems and now, with the emergence and spread of new diseases and global health issues, the need has taken on an increased degree of urgency. New employment trends in this field have been growing steadily with public health employers and national healthcare associations expressing increasing interest in remote workers in positions according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This increased demand will lead to greater employment opportunities for new and returning students.

3. Challenges and Solutions in Remote Public Health Jobs

The most common result of isolating work intensification, described by Poell, ten Brummelhuis, and van der Heijden as an increase in time and energy devoted to work that has detrimental effects on wellbeing. This is partially caused by the fact that remote workers are paid by the amount of work they produce, and often develop the feeling that their output is being closely scrutinized due to the separation from their supervisors. They may then feel pressured to increase their productivity through extending work hours or taking on excessive workloads. The isolated environment means there is no reprieve from work stress and it is not too long before the person is feeling burnt out. An Australian study of work intensification in clinical nursing highlighted the problem with casual nurses who had taken on full-time agency employment working greater hours and with more complex patient assignments than their previous hospital positions. This had adverse effects on both job satisfaction and patient care.

Second, isolation is a key problem for remote workers. There is a common belief that remote workers can be effective if they are able to completely cut themselves off from any distractions and imitate the work patterns of their office counterparts. This, in theory, suggests that it would be better for someone to take out a contract in rural Siberia than to work from their office at home if the result is the same. However, when looking at the health and wellbeing of that individual, this would not be a wise choice. People have psychological needs which must be met to prevent mental health problems and maintain life satisfaction. For example, one of the basic human psychological needs is relatedness, a desire to seek out and maintain interpersonal relationships. This can be in jeopardy if remote workers who are trying to imitate office work end up doing so in an environment where they have no contact with others, such as a construction site supervisor working alone in a portable office.

The first big challenge which faces a remote worker is the concern for their career prospects. They fear that being out of sight means out of mind, and that this will jeopardize any chance of promotion, or even worse, see a reversal in their career path. This really is a big issue, says Nijhier. There is a lot of evidence that suggests workers who are out of the office are less likely to be promoted. It is hard to get away from the feeling that if you are not there, you may be forgotten. This can be quite frustrating for people who have developed their skills and experience and are ready to take on a higher level of management. It can be even more daunting for those who are just starting on their career path. This feeling might not be foolish, as in a recent study by Allen et al, it was found that nurses in shift work had limited access to remote career advancement opportunities. This is very much applicable to the current trend in public health workforce which is characterized by chronic shortages and surpluses, often geographical misdistribution, poor staff quality, and low productivity. Remote workers in the nursing and allied health professions may find that there is simply not an alternative career option if they wish to move back into traditional employment.

4. Remote Public Health Job Opportunities

Remote job opportunities are available in areas such as program monitoring and evaluation, knowledge management, and research. Many professionals with clinical backgrounds are finding they can make significant contributions through working on the administrative end, from the comfort of their own homes. Computer and internet skills are a must, and it may take time to break into these fields, but remote job seeking is definitely a viable option for entry and mid-level professionals in global health. With the current economic downturn, organizations are being forced to find ways to cut costs while remaining effective, making the prospect of remote work even more attractive.

One of the challenges facing those considering a career in global health is how to gain initial field experience. With increasing numbers of disadvantaged and underserved populations within the United States, there are a variety of opportunities to work in domestic public health. Especially with the information revolution, many organizations are finding they can save time and money by hiring employees to work from home. This is particularly advantageous for people with families, or those looking to make a career change into public health.

5. Conclusion

Lastly, in weighing up the pros and cons of remote work in the public health sector, this research aimed at providing guidance to public health workers unable to decide if remote work is a viable option for them. By providing evidence-based analyses of remote work potential, the aim was to assist workers in making informed decisions about their job prospects and give them the confidence to seek out employment opportunities in non-traditional public health work environments.

Acknowledging that the concept of telecommuting in public health is still a relatively new idea, the research also aimed to demonstrate that remote work is a possibility in the current job market climate. Through examining real-life scenarios and job opportunities, the essay has attempted to normalize the idea of working away from the office and portray it as a realistic choice for qualified public health professionals. By attempting to minimize the stigma attached to remote work, this may encourage more public health workers to seek employment opportunities outside an office environment and hence broaden their job prospects, in turn increasing the quality of work in their chosen field.

This essay has set out to explore a number of roles that are available to people who are interested in working in the field of public health in a remote context. Through investigating the remote work potential for researchers, emergency and disaster managers, educators, trainers, and instructors, the etc has taken significant steps in reducing the barriers between public health professionals and job roles that can be done outside of an office environment.