There is no denying that pursuing a career within the health care industry is a wise choice. Not only will a job in the health care industry allow you to help others live a happier, healthier life, there is also a great deal of job stability within this field and you can potentially earn a very attractive annual salary. Even better, with the help of online health care degrees, you can get the education you need to get started in a health care career all from the comfort of your home.

Check out some of the top online degree programs in healthcare here:

Argosy University Online – College of Health Sciences
Ashford University Online
Bryant & Stratton
Everest University Online
Globe University
Grand Canyon University
Kaplan University Online
Keiser University Online
Northwestern College
Penn Foster Career School
South University Online
Strayer University
Virginia College Online
Walden University

If you are considering pursuing an online health care degree, the first thing you need to do is to gain a better understanding of the various types of health care positions available. In the broadest terms, there are nine different segments within the health care industry in which you might work. These include:

· Hospitals – offers complete medical care, ranging from diagnosing conditions to providing surgery and continuous care. Some hospitals specialize in specific populations of patients, such as caring for children, for cancer patients or for those who are mentally ill.
· Nursing and Residential Care Facilities – provides rehabilitation, inpatient nursing and other personal care to patients who require continuous care but do not need to be hospitalized.
· Offices of Physicians – provides care to patients who do not require emergency medical care and who do not require hospital treatment.
· Offices of Dentists – provides cosmetic, preventative and emergency oral care.
· Home Health Care Services – provide services to patients in their home while working under the supervision of a physician.
· Offices of Other Health Care Practitioners – provides specialized health care and includes providers such as optometrists, chiropractors, psychologists and podiatrists.
· Outpatient Care Centers – provides care to patients on an outpatient basis and includes facilities such as outpatient substance abuse centers, kidney dialysis centers and health maintenance organization medical centers.
· Other Ambulatory Health Care Services – provides transport of patients via ambulance and helicopters and provides services such as pacemaker monitoring
· Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories – provides analytic services to the medial profession or to patients and includes tasks such as analyzing blood and taking x-rays.

By exploring all of the medical positions that are within these nine segments, you will be sure to find the one that is right for you – and, there is sure to be an online school that will provide you with the training you need to get your career going.