Healthcare has evolved a great deal in America in the last two decades, and according to analysts, more changes are predicted in the next 10 years. Patient consumerization is on the rise; patients are no longer sitting by and waiting for doctors to hand down decisions. They want to contribute to their treatment plans and demand transparency and efficiency from their healthcare providers. Patient-centered care is now a normal practice in many hospitals and clinics. At the same time, the faces of nurse practitioners are changing. They are expected to be highly educated, bring a vast skillset to the job, and work in ever more challenging environments.
As you think about your future as a nurse, it is worth considering what the current trends and predictions are. What is happening now, and how will it change the profession in five or ten years? How easy will it be to move up the career ladder, and will the demand for nurses continue to rise?
For many who are contemplating the profession, nurse practitioners job satisfaction is a top consideration. They want to become nurses because they feel that they can make a difference. Interviews with NPs almost always mention benefits such as being able to help others, making a difference, promoting wellness, and providing a valuable service to the community. Courses like Caron-Newman’s prepare students with the insight and knowledge for nurses to be these forces of change and for those looking to expand their career into being a family nurse practitioners or advanced nurse, with opportunities for clinical placements to help students get a real feel for and a firm grasp on what the job entails.
Job satisfaction is important, but so are trends. If you know what the industry will look like in the coming years, you can plan adequately so that your career continues to flourish.
You can enroll in relevant courses that impart skills that will be in demand in the coming years. You can also make sound decisions about where to work, your specialty, and whether or not you want to rise to nursing management.
So what sorts of trends are expected for the nursing profession in the coming years, and what can any nurse in America expect going forward?
There will be growth in primary care opportunities
America has been short of primary care providers for many years now. It is a nationwide deficit, but some feel it more than others. Those in rural America, for example, don’t have nearly as many nurses and doctors as they need. The same goes for poor communities and minorities.
There has been a concerted effort to get more healthcare providers where they are needed most. The government and the private sector are doing what is necessary to make it more lucrative for primary care doctors and nurses to serve in these areas.
What this means for anyone who is just getting into the nursing profession is that so long as they are willing to work with underserved groups, there should be plenty of jobs in the coming years, and those jobs will pay well.
As the number of baby boomers rises, opportunities for nurses increase
Baby boomers are going to play an important role in the nursing profession in the next 10 years. There are lots of them, but not nearly enough nurses to provide them with the healthcare they need.
This has fueled the nursing shortage in America. To get more nurses into their institutions, employers are willing to pay more for nurses who have the right qualifications.
As more and more Americans retire and fall into the “elderly” category, well-trained nurses can expect to reap the benefits of caring for them.
If you are worried that you may be getting into a saturated profession and that it will be difficult to get a job, you should not be; there will be tens of thousands of jobs every year for nurses in America.
Telehealth will play a major role in treatment and care
The COVID-19 pandemic changed how we interact with our healthcare providers. We now know that it is possible to book an appointment online, talk to a doctor or nurse about your symptoms, and get a prescription.
We can expect this trend to grow. It introduces convenience to healthcare. Americans don’t have to drive to hospitals and wait in crowded ERs to get treatment.
They can use their mobile phone or computer to quickly contact a healthcare professional and get high-quality care.
Nurses can expect to be beneficiaries of this new trend. They will continue to provide online care to their patients in the coming years.
Those who have the right telehealth training will have great opportunities laid out before them. Whatever nursing specialty you choose, make sure that it has an element of telehealth. It will give you the necessary experience and exposure to telehealth systems.
AI systems will make nursing easier, and the quality of care will improve
There is an ongoing debate about whether nurse practitioners should worry about AI taking over their jobs.
This isn’t likely to happen; nursing is one of those professions that cannot be easily replaced by computer code. It requires care, compassion, empathy, and sensitivity.
However, there are certain things we can expect to see in the nursing profession as a result of leaps in AI technology. Nurses can expect to get test results much faster, which means that as long as a hospital has an AI system, they will handle more patients every day.
They can also expect to get more accurate results to help them provide appropriate treatment.
This may lead to longer working hours, which may cause stress and fatigue. Tomorrow’s nurses must learn how to take care of themselves, ensuring that they get enough rest, eat a good diet, and disconnect from their jobs from time to time.
Workforce diversity
Communities in the country are more diverse than they ever were, and it is reflected in treatment centers everywhere. Patients come from all races, countries, and ethnicities, and they all expect to be treated equally.
In a bid to provide equal services to all, treatment facilities have created a more diverse workforce. We now have nurses from all ethnicities and many different countries and races.
The trend is expected to grow, so you can expect to see diverse workplaces. You must become culturally sensitive and develop the skills that are necessary to work in an open environment.
Nursing is evolving and getting better every year. New technologies and research into better nursing methods promise to make it a fulfilling career for anyone who opts to become a nurse. The employment predictions are not bad either, and with the right training and skills, they can easily earn six-figure incomes.