(Newswire.net — June 15, 2016) — Despite nursing being a popular profession, there is a nursing shortage with nursing numbers critically low throughout the country. This is unfortunate, especially as more and more people are in need of high quality care.
Continue reading to learn more, and if you decide that you want to help solve the problem, consider getting your MSN online at a place like The University of Arizona College of Nursing.
The Reasons for the Nursing Shortage
There has been a nursing shortage for a few years, and it is only expected to grow unless more individuals become interested in becoming nurses and acquire the appropriate level of education to start working in the field.
A few of the many reasons for this shortage, despite the career being a fulfilling one that can give anyone the ability to help others, include:
- There are low numbers of faculty members qualified to teach at nursing schools. This limits the number of students who are able to enroll in the best programs, even if they wanted to.
- A significant portion of the current nursing population is now nearing retirement age, and there aren’t enough nurses to take their place.
- People are living longer than ever, which means there are more people requiring more medical care than ever before. With this comes the need for more nurses who can work at a variety of facilities, from hospitals and doctor’s offices, to treatment centers and nursing homes.
- Many existing nurses are choosing to leave their positions because the job is too stressful as a result of the nursing shortage. This high turnover rate is making it difficult to maintain adequate amounts of nurses at a variety of healthcare facilities.
Millions of Nursing Job Openings Expected
Even though the United States has a massive population of nurses, with nearly 3 million registered nurses back in 2012, which was a whopping half a million higher than the number that was estimated in 2002, there is still a high demand for skilled nurses, as well as those who are specialized in fields like cancer therapy. In other words, even though the number of nurses is quite high, it still is not enough, and demand is set to continue to grow.
It is even estimated that by the year 2020, the country will have roughly a million nursing job openings. As people live longer, and as more people gain access to healthcare, there will be a greater need for nurses who can help save lives and deliver valuable treatment to the masses.
What You Can Do
If you wish to join the nursing workforce and help people get the medical care that they need while doing your part to help reduce the nursing shortage, there are many RN to MSN programs, along with ADN to NP programs, that you can choose from.
The right education will prepare you for the work that lies ahead, and as more people enter the medical field, the shortage of nurses will eventually go away.