Technology medicine: as many as 425,000 high-tech jobs may go unfilled in coming years

Careers and Colleges, Jan-Feb, 2003

Gary Drevitch

NURSE

Wayne Gillis

AGE: 36

LOCATION: Leesburg Regional Medical Center, FL

JOB: Registered nurse (RN) and administrative director of critical care services

EDUCATION: About 65 percent of nurses graduate from two-year associate nursing programs. Others hold four-year degrees. Nurses must pass a licensing exam. Licenses must be renewed periodically, usually every two years.

SALARY: Median annual salary for RNs is $34,430 to $49,070. Hospitals may also pay overtime and offer seasonal or contract bonuses for working extra hours.

ON THE JOB: Gillis worked as a hospital nurse for 10 years, providing care for patients by dispensing medications, assessing and recording symptoms, and instructing families on proper patient care. He is now administrative director, responsible for 150 nurses. In addition to monitoring and mentoring nurses, he screens and hires staff, purchases all equipment and supplies, and helps with other nursing related functions.

STARTING OUT: "When I met my wife, she was in a nursing program and I was learning to be a veterinarian," he says. "But the more she told me about nursing, the more interested I became."

REWARDS: "We save lives and improve quality of life," he says. "I remember becoming very attached to one of our cancer patients who had had a lung removed. I had to work really hard to get him to do his breathing exercises and his recovery became my personal mission. He passed away several years later, but his wife, a hospital volunteer, reminds me of our rapport every time I see her."

CHALLENGES: "It's a huge responsibility to have a patient's life in your hands. Anything can happen, including the loss of life."

MORE INFO: American Nurses Association, www.nursingworld.org

VETERINARIAN

David Schaffer

Tanley Hunter, Jr.

AGE: 31

LOCATION: Ann Arbor MI

JOB: Veterinarian, Animal Emergency Clinic

EDUCATION: Veterinarians must complete a four-year veterinary science program after college. Hunter attended Tuskegee University in Alabama for his undergraduate and veterinary education.

SALARY: Median annual salary is $58,306, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

STARTING OUT: "I've been an animal lover all my life. I probably started wanting to be a veterinarian in kindergarten when I took care of a stray dog."

ON THE JOB: Hunter treats animals that require immediate attention and medication. Unlike veterinarians who do routine check-ups and vaccinations and treat minor ailments, Hunter deals with animals who have been in accidents, fights, or who have ingested poisonous substances or suffered sudden serious illnesses. He sets broken bones, performs emergency surgeries, and administers and prescribes medications. Mostly he works on dogs and cats, but he also occasionally treats rabbits.

REWARDS: Hunter says the biggest reward is seeing the gratitude and relief of pet owners after he is able to help their pets. He remembers seeing a small dog who suffered serious injuries after a fight with another dog. "We had to do extensive surgery, but we were able to pull him through. It's great to see the looks on owners' faces in situations like that-sometimes they're so grateful they give us baked goods!"