Health care workers report feeling more confident, especially when it comes to the economy's strength and job availability, according to the fourth-quarter findings from the Randstad Healthcare Employee Confidence Index.

Specifically, employee confidence grew 4.1 points to hit 57.5 in the fourth quarter, the survey reveals.  

"Given the latest findings of our Healthcare Employee Confidence Index, it appears much of the anxiety around the fiscal cliff concerns have all but dissipated as we enter 2013," says Steve McMahan, executive vice president of Randstad US, Professionals. "The health care employment market has exhibited strong growth in the past months, adding 23,000 jobs in January and rising 320,000 over the year. The long-term outlook for the industry is equally as promising. Specifically, physicians in urgent care and those with specialization in anti-aging medicine are in high demand, as are registered nurses in both permanent and temporary positions. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of registered nurses is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations, with 26 percent gains from 2010 to 2020."