Nursing
Do you have a deep desire to devote yourself to helping people? A nursing career fits well in that bracket. The field offers job security, good income, and career growth potential. It means your quest to secure your financial future while leaving a mark in people’s lives is possible as a nurse. Nurses’ demand continues to soar, especially following the Covid-19 adversities. The pandemic highlighted the personnel shortages that continue to drag healthcare service delivery. Nursing industry has been rising by 16% per annum, and around Half Million new nursing jobs will be created in the country by 2024.
Nonetheless, nursing has long been among the fastest-growing industries. So, what has and continues to make it the fastest-growing field in the U.S? Here are the top highlights.
It is not for everyone
You have often heard, “nursing is a calling more than a profession.” Have you ever wondered why the saying holds? Nursing physical and emotional demands can take a toll on your progress. Many try but realize that they can’t handle such demands. Besides education and training, the profession requires you to put the needs of others above yours. Pursuing the necessary education is demanding but manageable. This is especially now that you can pursue and learn nursing online. The problem arises when you hit the field, which can turn your life inside out.
Nursing is not for everyone. This is not only considering how the sight of blood, wounds, or dealing with problematic patients can be a turn-off. It demands compassion to help people, mostly at their worst. This means filling the nursing gap is difficult since not as many people pursue the career or stay on course. The shortage translates to more exciting offers. With the growing responsibilities since nurses are at the heart of healthcare, it has become among the fastest-growing industries.
Aging populace
Baby boomers are aging fast. Those born before the 1950s are already at 70, and in a few years, a significant populace will be at retirement age. We want to live longer, but the impact on healthcare is undeniable. Today, more people are living longer but not necessarily healthier. Chronic conditions continue to be the order of the day. Most of today’s older adults have at least one condition that requires management.
Managing existing conditions is already straining the nursing field. With more nearing retirement and demanding healthcare services, the need for nurses will continue to hit new highs. Nurses are everywhere, from hospitals, in-home care, and elderly care homes, among other settings. More professional nurses are retiring while their demand rises. This means the field will remain the fastest growing industry as it strives to bridge the gap.
Technology
Technology continues to revolutionize various industries, healthcare included. With machine learning and artificial intelligence advancements, tech has improved efficiency. It is even taking more jobs from the human workforce. This means the demand for human labor continues to dwindle in many areas like manufacturing. Nonetheless, this does not apply to the nursing industry.
Besides noting that people would rather have a human attending them at their worst than a machine, technology has not perfected the art of providing nursing down to the level of empathy. A talented and compassionate nurse can hardly be replaced by technology.
Modern nurses use tech in many ways, from communication, and patient monitoring, to data collection and management. Nonetheless, their presence can’t be overlooked. This means that the demand for nurses will, in the near future, continue to be on the rise to fill the gap that has existed for decades.
The nursing industry’s outlook for the coming year is promising. If you are considering pursuing a nursing career, you need more skills to advance and keep up with the ever-evolving dynamics. The fast-paced tech developments aren’t the only concerns. You need more skills to meet the more responsibilities modern nurses take.
Nurses are no longer just doctors’ helpers. Today, with certain qualifications, a nurse can take responsibilities that were once designated to physicians. For instance, as a nurse practitioner (NP), you can independently order tests, diagnose patients and prescribe medication.
If you have thought about a nursing career, you are on to something. It is a promising profession, and as the fastest growing industry, nursing marks most, if not all, boxes prospects consider when picking a career. This includes job security, good income rates, satisfying job, flexibility, and excellent career advancement paths. The aging nursing population and growing healthcare needs, including chronic conditions management, continue to propel nurses’ demand, making it among the fastest-growing industries.
