Nurses, especially those working in different nursing specialties, make a tremendous impact on the health of the US population and for people around the world. The future is bright for the sector as they play an increasingly crucial role in promoting health, caring for people, teaching, policy making, collaboration, technological advances, and coordinating care.
The nursing job market is expected to grow by 26% between 2010 and 2020 as cited in the government occupational handbook. The sector will have the nation’s top job growth of any other profession. Now, more than ever before, nurses will have the greatest influence on quality of care and outcomes.
Increased Demand for Higher Education
With new government regulations, nurses will have a more influential role in how healthcare is provided. Many more nurse leaders will be in demand. Advancement of education in the field is growing. With the Affordable Care Act coming, there will be an increased demand for nurses to meet the increase in people receiving care.
More nurses with higher educational degrees in 2014 and beyond will fill positions in many healthcare settings and roles. The Institute of Medicine report on “The Future of Nursing” recommends that the practice of nursing be within the scope of education and training.
The IOM also states that nurses can take advantage of educational opportunities available to advance their careers and scope of practice. Nurses are an integral part of redesigning healthcare and should work with other healthcare professionals in policy planning as stated in the IOM report. It is noted that nurses serving inner cities and rural areas should see more employment opportunities.
Forecasts for Specific Nursing Specialties
So let’s explore some of the important roles that nurses will have in 2014 and beyond as they will have an impact on the nation’s health and on your nursing career.
Nurses with a BSN or above will have more growth advancement.
Nurse Practitioners in all areas will continue to grow as there are more patients to care for as a result of the new healthcare regulations and increased patient population and nurse practitioners continue to widen their practice scope statewide.
Home Health, Hospice, Geriatric Specialty Nurses and nurses working in the acute and chronic long term care settings including those providing care for dementia and rehab patients will be in demand as the population ages and hospitals look toward these nurses for preventing patients from being readmitted. Hospitals are penalized for readmissions under new healthcare guidelines.
Nurses who have expertise in technology and nursing informatics are needed to implement and train as there is a growing request for this area to enhance safety and quality of care and bring healthcare organizations into an even greater technological arena.
Critical Care, NICU and Emergency Room Nurses will continue to increase as more complex patients are hospitalized and premature babies are born.
Ambulatory Care Nurses continue to be needed as many procedures are done in an outpatient setting including chemotherapy and outpatient surgery. Nurses working in physicians’ offices will also see an even greater need.
Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurse Anesthetists and Nurse Midwives will also see a growth in opportunities.
Nursing Faculty will see an increase in demand as more people enter the profession to meet the need for new nurses and nurses pursuing advanced degrees to enhance their careers and practice.
With many specialties predicted to grow next year, it’s important to pursue the one you are passionate about and which brings you the most joy. Since you will spend many hours working, you want to feel energized and excited to be in a specific nursing specialty. You should also be in a setting where you are making your unique contribution to the field.