Should I choose medical coding or nursing as a career?

Medical Coding or Nursing: What to Choose?

The one suitable for you depends on your preference for attractions, skills and career goals. Nursing is a physical job that deals with providing care to patients, undertaking medical procedures, and direct interaction with medical teams. This career therefore requires one to be an effective communicator, physically fit and be able to handle high-stress situations. Medical Coding is an authoritative field in healthcare that mainly deals with translating medical diagnoses, procedures and treatments into standardized codes for the purpose of billing and insurance. This is the right career choice for one who prefers working in an office, someone who is detail-oriented, and who would like to work in health care but without direct patient interaction.

If you value safety, flexibility and telecommuting options, you are likely best served in the area of Medical Coding. Many professionals will take a medical coding course to gain the requisite skills and certification that lets one work from home or in hospitals, insurance companies, and healthcare facilities. In contrast, nursing involves longer shifts, manual labor, and continuous learning, as medical procedures and standards of patient care do change. While both offer tremendous job stability, the demand for medical coders is on the rise because of a growing need for precise medical records and processing of insurance claims.

Anyone looking for a career in Medical Coding may be able to get a good training course and certification through a medical coding center. But if you like the job of caring for patients, and if you have the time for a few years of schooling and on-the-job training, nursing may offer that chance. In any case, both options are equally rewarding in their respective roles, and your choice must be based upon your skills, interests, and long-standing dream.