Healthcare career opportunities in Connecticut
Connecticut has some of the leading healthcare and life sciences employers in the country. You’ve heard many of their names, such as Hartford HealthCare, Nuvance Health, UConn Health, Yale New Haven Health, Jackson Laboratories, Medtronic, and Pfizer. They are thriving thanks to cutting-edge research and skilled workers. From your local doctor’s office to leading hospitals and cutting-edge research labs, you’ll find a world of opportunities near you!
Learn about these healthcare training and tuition assistance programs:
- CT Health Horizons: Working in partnership with 30+ public and private colleges, this program provides tuition assistance to nursing and social work students, expands the number of health faculty positions, and creates career-based partner programs with healthcare providers.
- The WorkPlace's Health CareeRx Academy: The academy provides tuition assistance and support to help participants get a career in the growing healthcare field.
- ConnCAT's BioLaunch program: Get the skills and training needed for high-demand, high-quality careers in the field of bioscience.
Explore details about typical jobs in the healthcare industry:
- Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
- Registered Nurse (RN)
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
- Health Information Technician or Technologist
- Surgical Technologist
- Respiratory Therapist
Licensed Practical Nurse
The job: Care for ill, injured, or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions. May work under the supervision of a registered nurse.
Common job titles: Licensed Practical Nurse, LPN, Charge Nurse, Clinic LPN, Clinic Nurse, Home Health LPN, Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), Office Nurse, Pediatric LPN, Private Duty Nurse, Radiation Oncology Nurse, Triage LPN
Education: Employers usually require a certificate or an associate degree.
Licensing: LPNs must pass the NCLEX-PN exam.
Certificates: Certificates are available for special care, including:
- IV therapy
- Long-term care
- Pharmacology (medication)
- Wound care
- Breastfeeding support
Registered Nurse
The job: Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management.
Common job title: Nurse, Registered Nurse, RN, Certified Operating Room Nurse (CNOR), Charge Nurse, Emergency Department RN, Oncology RN, Operating Room Registered Nurse, Psychiatric RN, Relief Charge Nurse, School Nurse, Staff Nurse, Staff RN
Education: This job requires an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Licensing: RNs must pass the NCLEX-RN exam.
Certifications: Popular certificates include:
- Nationally Certified School Nurse
- Prehospital Trauma Life Support
- Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist (Pediatric)
- Critical Care Registered Nurse (Adult)
- Critical Care Registered Nurse (Pediatric)
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
The job: Produce ultrasonic recordings of internal organs for use by physicians. Includes vascular technologists.
Common job titles: Cardiac Sonographer, Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, Medical Sonographer, Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS), Sonographer, Staff Sonographer, Ultrasonographer, Ultrasound Technician (Ultrasound Tech), Ultrasound Technologist (Ultrasound Tech)
Education: This job requires a certificate or associate degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography.
Certificates: If you want to specialize, popular certifications include:
- Registered in Musculoskeletal Sonography
- Registered in Medical Sonography - Musculoskeletal
- Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
- Registered Vascular Technology
Health Information Technician or Technologist
The job: Help design, develop, modify, analyze, or implement computerized healthcare systems. Possible job duties include: collecting and analyzing patient treatment and follow-up information, training staff to use systems; helping monitor diseases.
Common job titles: Medical Records Analyst, Medical Records Technician, Health Information Technologist, Health Information Technician, Medical Records Director
Education: This varies by job. Employers may require a vocational education, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree.
Certificates: If you want to specialize, here are examples of popular certificates:
- Registered Health Information Technician
- Nationally Certified Insurance and Coding Specialist
- Registered Health Information Administrator
- Certified Family Practice Coder
- Certified Medical Insurance Specialist
- Certified Professional in Health Information Exchange
Surgical Technologist
The job: Assist in operations under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. May help set up operating rooms, prepare and transport patients for surgery, adjust lights and equipment, pass instruments and other supplies to surgeons and surgeons' assistants, hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments.
Common job titles: Certified Surgical Technician, Certified Surgical Technologist (CST), Operating Room Surgical Technician, Operating Room Technician, Operating Room Technologist, Surgical Scrub Technician, Surgical Scrub Technologist, Surgical Technician, Surgical Technologist
Education: Employers will require a certificate or an associate degree from an approved vocational-technical school or college.
Certificates: Surgical technologists in Connecticut must be certified by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA).
If you want to specialize, popular certifications include:
- Certified Surgical Technologist
- Certified Surgical First Assistant
- Orthopedic Technologist - Surgery Certified
- Certified Surgical First Assistant
- Certified Transplant Preservationist
Respiratory Therapist
The job: Assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders. Assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care, including supervising respiratory therapy technicians. Initiate and conduct therapeutic procedures; maintain patient records; and select, assemble, check, and operate equipment.
Common job titles: Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Respiratory Therapist, Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT), Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT), Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP), Respiratory Therapist (RT), Staff Respiratory Therapist, Staff Therapist.
Education: These jobs require an associate or bachelor’s degree.
Licensing: Respiratory therapists must be licensed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health
Certificates: If you want to specialize, popular certifications include:
- Adult Critical Care Specialty
- Certified Respiratory Therapist
- Certified Respiratory Therapist - Sleep Disorders Specialty
- Neonatal/Pediatric Respiratory Care Specialist
- Registered Respiratory Therapist - Sleep Disorders Specialty