Careers in healthcare can be demanding both emotionally and physically, as people who work in these professions must deal with people at their most vulnerable.

Healthcare has become a focus of national debate as the Obama administration pushes to reform the healthcare system in the U.S. as costs go up and an aging population begins to put more pressure on the system.

A recent study by the Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement recommends that investing in the people who provide healthcare - such as doctors and nurses - results in benefits to patients.

"A key conclusion of the study is that, in addition to what healthcare workers do, emphasis needs to be placed on how the employees feel about what they do," the study authors write. "Patient experiences will not be good if employees are not happy."

The government recently released a study on jobs of the future using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that predicted healthcare would be one of the fastest-growing sectors of job growth in the economy, with healthcare support services experiencing almost 50% growth from 2006-2016. These numbers may be even higher if comprehensive healthcare reform becomes law.