Many health care students are unaware of the growing problem with a shortage of nursing staff in U.S. hospitals. Did you know that at least 30 states are currently suffering from a serious shortage of nursing professionals? Hundreds of thousands of nursing positions are currently unfilled in this country alone. By the year 2012, that number may exceed one million. This serious shortage of nurses continues to be a serious problem in health care facilities all over the nation. The great need for nurses is one excellent reason to consider nursing as your future career in health care.
There are a number of reasons that the nursing shortage has occurred and continues to get worse year after year. One of those reasons is the fact that nursing used to be a much more popular career choice than it is today. In fact, 35% fewer women claimed that they would choose nursing as a profession in the 1990s than they did in the 1970s. In just two decades, the workforce was significantly cut in nursing. This also is the reason that there are few young nurses in comparison to the nurses over 40 years of age. In fact, about half of the RN workforce is expected to retire over the next ten years. This comes from a good thing, in the long run - as more professional careers became open to women, these females experienced more choices than they ever had before as far as their professional futures. However, it has had a serious effect on the nursing shortage in the U.S.
There is also a serious shortage when it comes to nursing educators. There are actually thousands of nursing school applicants who are interested in pursuing their bachelor's or master's in the nursing field. Unfortunately, over 30,000 students are turned away each year due to a lack of nursing teachers. For this reason, many experienced nurses are currently being encouraged to go back to school to learn how to become a nursing educator and prepare the next wave of nurses for health care in America.
Why do we need so many more nurses today and in the coming years? The Baby Boom generation is quickly approaching their senior years, meaning that there will be a larger need for health care professionals than ever before. As these individuals age and require more home health care, surgeries and general medical care, nurses will be needed to help cover their health care needs.
How does this apply to you? For starters, you can consider going to nursing school to become a nurse and help contribute to the solution to this nursing shortage. If you're an experienced nurse, you can consider returning to school to become a nursing educator. Alternatively, you can get involved with a professional association or other advocate group which will promote funding to educate more nurses in the United States. Whatever field in health care you pursue, however, will definitely help to alleviate the coming wave of health care needs in our country.
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