The first person who will greet you when you go to an emergency room or the hospital is a nurse, aside from other attendants. You expect each nurse to attend to your needs immediately and promptly. This may not always be the case as there is an issue with the proportion of the number of nurses to the number of patients.
That being said, if you’re currently contemplating which course to take, then taking the nursing profession path may be a good option for you. With the advent of technology, you no longer need to enroll in an old-school setting as institutions like Bradley University enable you to get a degree by studying online.
The following are some of the reasons why more nurses are needed in the healthcare industry:
1. The system has paved the way for the need for more medical practitioners.
Since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010, it has extended medical coverage to millions of people. The increase in the number of people that require medical attention means a relative increase in the required professionals to meet their needs.
Most of the states have passed some regulations in terms of a nurse to patient ratio. For instance, a nurse in the operating room can’t handle more than one patient while the one in the emergency room may have up to four patients depending on the state. Some hospitals haven’t followed this setting before so upon the passage of the law, they are required to make the necessary changes or else they will be penalized.
2. The ever-increasing number of population.
From the recent estimates of the United States Population Live counter, which sources its data from the United Nations Population Division, the population of the United States of America has now reached 328,446,744 as of this writing. Yearly the growth rate is at .71% or more than 2 million additional headcounts to the population.
There is no further need to spell it out. With more people in a country that would more likely require medical attention in the future, what follows is the rise of the need for more healthcare professionals to assist them, specifically the nurses. Millennials who currently occupy the more significant portion of the workforce is being tapped to address the need.
3. The aging population requires more attention.
The baby boomers and the earlier generations now ripening in age need the assistance of the younger generations. The creation of more hospices and even additional sections of the hospitals to cater to them require more nurses.
As delicate as they are now, the elderly population need a nurse’s undivided attention whenever necessary. This is a point in their lives wherein a nurse’s care is no longer a luxury but a need that must be met.
4. The shift of the healthcare industry to consumer-centered mindset.
The International Alliance of Patients’ Organization (IAPO) has been the champion of the patient or consumer-centered mindset. The organization identified key principles that must be the basis of how patients are generally handled.
One of the key points of their principles is that patients can decide for their healthcare assistance needs. The patients being must be considered, as well as their preferences. For instance, if a patient would opt for home care, then a medical institution can’t impose that the patient will be confined at a hospital for non-contagious illnesses. Instead, a nurse may be sent to the patient’s place for the additional care needed. This whole new setup requires more nurses as the current number is merely sufficient for hospital confinement.
Also, patients must be educated about relevant information that can help them decide on the type of health management that they need. As this idea is made available to patients, healthcare institutions are reinventing strategies to meet this, thus the need for more nurses who are capable of accomplishing this responsibility.
5. Many have shifted to a different industry.
This may be a sad reality, but many individuals now are no longer enticed to become a healthcare professional for a number of reasons, or some of the professionals have shifted to a different path.
Instead of this becoming an issue, this has now opened an opportunity to welcome new blood to the industry with unprecedented passion and innovative spirit.
Conclusion
Above are the reasons why the healthcare industry needs more nurses. If these are not enough for you, then you may want to do further research. The healthcare industry’s growth continues and will continue in the coming years. The question of stability is one of the least concerns that one may come to think of.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
