After everything you’ve seen in the news about nursing and job security, you wonder, “Is there a high demand for nurses?”
It seems like more nurses are leaving every day. Why? Are they still needed? What is the growth potential for nursing?
Nursing is a growing field with a good deal of potential and we tell you why.
Keep reading to learn why there is a demand for nurses and what it takes to become a nurse.
Table of Contents
- Is There High Demand for Nurses?
- Why Is Nursing a Growing Field? 9 Contributing Factors
- Is Nursing a Good Career Path for the Future?
- What Does the Path Look Like for a Nursing Career?
- Is There a High Demand for Travel Nurses?
- Trusted Nurse Staffing: Helping Nurses Meet the Growing Demand and Find Their Dream Job
Is There High Demand for Nurses?
Yes. There is a massive demand for nurses, and it only seems to grow every day.
What is the projected growth for registered nurses? According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, it is expected that 194,500 positions will open up for registered nurses each year.
Why Is Nursing a Growing Field? 9 Contributing Factors
There are multiple reasons nursing is still a growing field. Here are our top nine.
#1: Baby Boomers Are Living Longer and Have More Chronic Conditions
More than any generation before them, baby boomers are seeking medical care and supervision. As the generation ages, they need more care and many are opting for advanced-care living facilities, such as assisted living or nursing homes.
Additionally, baby boomers seem to have more chronic conditions than previous generations. For instance, 6.2 million adults in America have Alzheimer’s disease. 27.2 million adults over 65 have arthritis.
Other chronic illnesses can deeply affect Baby Boomers:
- Dementia
- Heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Cancer
Longer life expectancies and increased chronic illness are all contributing factors to current exponential nursing job growth.
#2: Hands-On Care Is Required
In our digital age, it feels like just about everyone can be replaced by a robot or some other type of machine.
We have self-checkouts at grocery stores. Amazon has warehouses where robots outnumber people. Cars can drive themselves.
But nursing cannot be done by a robot. Nursing requires gentle, caring, and empathetic care only you can offer.
You cannot simply replace a nurse with a robot.
#3: Current Events
The past few years saw massive rates of turnover in nursing as Covid-19 swept the planet. Half a million healthcare workers have left healthcare since February of 2020, and that number continues to rise as Covid-19, vaccine mandates, and other Covid-related factors play out.
As tragedies of the pandemic hit, many nurses found themselves overworked, exhausted, and burned out. Even before the pandemic, nurses were experiencing high levels of burnout, but the toll of Covid-19 has dramatically increased those numbers.
Many nurses are exiting due to burnout — leaving many open positions.
#4: Baby Boomer Nurses Are Retiring
As baby boomers get older, many nurses are hitting retirement age. It is estimated we will soon see up to 80,000 nurses retire each year.
As more nurses retire, their positions need to be filled by a new generation of nurses — a massive contributor to nursing career growth.
#5: Advances in Technology
Technological advances are making nursing today simpler than ever before:
- New diagnostic tools and methods mean less invasive procedures.
- Biometrics eliminates the need to remember passwords and keeps patient records more secure.
- Electronic Healthcare Records (EHR) allow nurses to access critical patient information when they need it.
- Computerized Physician/Provider Order Entry (CPOE) reduces errors and makes ordering different types of care easier.
As millions of dollars and hours upon hours of research are poured into medical tech advances, nurses can rest assured people are working to create better systems.
#6: Health Care Reform
As healthcare reforms become more popular and begin going into effect, a need for nurses is likely to continue increasing.
Nurses may increase home visits to elderly patients for preventative care.
As patient care continues to be a priority, hiring more nurses to meet demand is a necessary step.
More employed nurses mean more health professionals able to offer desperately-needed care.
#7: Benefits and Competitive Salaries
Nursing is a good industry to be part of due, in part, to excellent benefits and competitive salaries.
Registered nurses earn substantive salaries and often enjoy great benefits such as health insurance and education reimbursements.
Some special types of nurses make even more. Take travel nurses for instance.
With Trusted Nurse Staffing, travel nurses can expect to receive benefits like:
- Highest pay rates in travel nursing
- Weekly paychecks
- Travel, housing, and meal stipends
- 401K with a 4% match after 1 year and 1,000 hours of employment
- Wellness benefits
- An HRA card to cover healthcare deductibles
- Employee sponsored health insurance
#8: Advancement Opportunities
When you become a registered nurse, you are setting yourself up for many future opportunities.
You can:
- Change your specialty to one with higher pay
- Start a new adventure with travel nursing for higher pay and experiences;
or - Continue your studies and become a nurse practitioner or even a doctor.
With nursing, it is easier to find a job in a new city. Have you always dreamed of moving to L.A.? What about Hawaii? As a nurse, you have open doors wherever there are open nursing positions.
#9: Built-In Value
Placing a price on the value nurses provide is all but impossible.
When you are a nurse, you may be the one:
- Sitting with patients during their last hours.
- A child sees first coming out of surgery.
- There to hold a mother’s hand as she brings a little life into the world.
- Holding a father’s hand, assuring him the doctor is doing everything she can for his daughter.
- Who administers meds, runs the AED, and spends countless hours doing chest compressions.
- Who saves lives.
The value of being a nurse is incomparable. It cannot be measured. Every day you leave work — no matter how emotional it was — you can always know that, somehow, you made a difference for someone.
That is the built-in value of nursing. You know how to help people in their hardest moments.
Is Nursing a Good Career Path for the Future?
Absolutely. It can be difficult to know what careers will withstand the test of time — but you can rest assured nursing will. There is a greater need for nurses now than ever before and is projected to continue growing.
What Does the Path Look Like for a Nursing Career?
Becoming a nurse isn’t easy, but it is well worth what it takes to earn a nursing degree.
Programs differ, but you should plan to spend between one to six years in school, depending on what degree you are pursuing.
After earning your degree, it is time to get licensed. You need to study for and pass the NCLEX and then procure a state license. Getting licensed can be a long process, depending on the type of license you are applying for. Becoming a licensed nurse can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months.
Once you have your required degrees, licenses, and certifications, it is time to apply for a nursing job.
As a nurse, you aren’t limited to hospitals and doctor’s offices.
Nurses are needed in many different contexts, such as:
- Assisted living homes
- Schools
- Prisons
- Nursing homes
- Hospice centers
- In-home care
- Military bases
Nursing is a wide field with multiple options outside of typical hospital routines.
Is There a High Demand for Travel Nurses?
As need for nurses increases, so does need for travel nurses. Many hospitals are hiring travel nurses and there are countless other employment opportunities for them.
Not only can travel nurses count on pretty stable job security, but they can also count on great pay and benefits — especially if they are with a reputable agency.
Trusted Nurse Staffing: Helping Nurses Meet the Growing Demand and Find Their Dream Job
Trusted Nurse Staffing knows all about the nursing world. We focus on providing our travel nurses with great jobs accompanied by excellent benefits and pay. We care deeply about our nurses and are here to support you through every single step, day or night.
Our nurses know we have their backs. From welcome packages, to 24/7 access to their Trusted Partner, to discount and referral bonus programs, at Trusted Nurse Staffing, we put our nurses first.
Take your next step today and begin the journey to your dream job with Trusted Nurse Staffing.