Even though healthcare has long been considered a recession-proof industry, those looking for Chicago nurse jobs are finding that might not necessarily be the case.

It seems that many recent graduates are having trouble finding nursing jobs at any of the medical centers in the Chicago area.

“We are definitely seeing a decrease in openings for new grads,” Vicki Keough, acting dean of Loyola University Chicago’s Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, told the Chicago Sun-Times.

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If you’re looking for a healthcare job in Illinois, you should know that being a doctor or nurse aren’t your only options. If you’re interested in something different, you might want to see what kind of positions in a CNA job Chicago has to offer.

Certified nursing assistants are responsible for giving personal care to patients in hospitals and nursing homes, according to an article by the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

They work under the direction of nursing and medical staff. CNA duties often include giving baths and back rubs; making hospital beds; carrying meal trays; helping patients in and out of bed; taking temperature, pulse, respiration, weight and blood pressure readings; answering calls; writing notes on patients’ charts and taking appropriate action during emergencies.

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One company has eliminated more than 100 Chicago healthcare jobs.

Resurrection Health Care, based in Chicago, recently announced its plan to lay off 125 workers. The company is cutting 80 manager positions, as well as ambulatory services and system support positions. The company is cutting 81 positions in all and leaving 44 vacancies unfilled.

According to an article by The Hospital Review, Resurrection Health Care operates eight hospitals in the Chicago area. The company lost $73 million during 2008 and expects more losses by the end of the fiscal year in June.

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Although the healthcare industry is often considered recession-proof, one Chicago area hospital is planning to cut more than 100 Chicago healthcare jobs.

NorthShore Skokie Hospital recently announced that it would cut 150 jobs, or about 14 percent of the company’s workforce. The job eliminations will not affect caregivers, but will leave seven senior executives and some secretaries, clerical support and business office staff without jobs. The hospital employs 1,100 workers.

“It has no impact on clinical activities and it involves redundant back office administrative services,” Jeffrey Hillebrand, chief operating officer of NorthShore University HealthSystem, said in the article. “None of the affected employees provide direct, hands-on care to patients.”

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The healthcare industry is one of the few that are continuing to boom during current economic troubles. Because of this, those with a Chicago healthcare job may find their career recession-proof.

Of the 50 fastest-growing occupations in Illinois, 17 are in the medical field. The top healthcare jobs that are growing include those for pharmacists, medical assistants, dental hygienists and dental assistants. According to an article by The Herald News, medical assistant positions alone are expected to grow by 36 percent, or 13,385 jobs, by 2014. New technology is contributing to the growth of untypical healthcare jobs, such as medical records technologists and pre-natal ultrasound readers.

Another career looked at as being recession-proof includes technology. Of the 50 fastest-growing occupations in the state, six are in the information technology industry. The fastest-growing jobs in IT include network systems and data communications, computer software engineering and applications and computer software engineering and systems. Network systems and data communications specialists are expected to grow by 42 percent, or 12,738 jobs, by 2014.

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