Nothing is fixed or stagnant in nursing careers – making this medical field particularly exciting. Medicine and patient care is constantly changing and advancing – which means the 3.9 million nurses in the United States are perpetually readjusting and reevaluating their approach, both professionally and with patients. You’re not going to find boredom in this corner of the world!

Currently, there’s a severe shortage in nurses in the U.S. – demand is forcefully rising, but the need is simply not being filled quickly enough. Often this imbalance sounds appealing to those entering the nursing workforce but can seem daunting to those already in the trenches. Change can be good, but can also present rifts in inpatient care and place additional stress on nurses.

Change is inevitable and growth is foreseeable. This is why it’s important to prepare and charge ahead armed with knowledge and insight into what’s expected. Although it experienced its ups and downs, 2019 was a great year in nursing. As this year winds down, here are 5 Nursing Employment Trends to Watch for in 2020.

1. Further Cementing of the Nursing Role

There’s been a shift in the medical field and a focus on the important role nurses play in healthcare. That being said, many hospitals and doctor’s offices are recognizing the cost-effectiveness of hiring more nurses as opposed to physicians. Be prepared for a continued increase in demand for nursing roles being filled in 2020. This can provide beneficial salary leverage to those looking to enter nursing or veterans in the industry.

2. Higher Need for Outpatient Nursing Care

As you may already be familiar with, there’s a large focus on discharging patients from hospitals quickly these days. Stabilizing patients and then submitting them to outpatient care centers for recovery and follow-up is the norm. Because of this trend, the demand for more skilled outpatient care nurse jobs is steadily rising. In fact, this area of healthcare is expected to see a 20% increase in staff needs and demand.

3. Needs for Ph.D.’s

There’s a good chance your professor will be retiring soon. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing “The average ages of doctorally-prepared nurse faculty holding the ranks of professor, associate professor, and assistant professor were 62.4, 57.2, and 51.2 years, respectively. For master’s degree-prepared nurse faculty, the average ages for professors, associate professors, and assistant professors were 55.5, 56.4, and 50.6 years, respectively.” This means the demand for academic nurse practitioners with Ph.D.’s is higher in the field of medical education.

4. More Primary Care Physicians Are Hiring

Most people these days utilize a primary care physician, especially if you’re insurance requires it. Because of this, more family care offices are hiring nursing staff to support their growth in patients. This area of nursing is expected to see significant growth by 22% for 2020. If you prefer to work outside of the hospital environment – this could be a great opportunity for you.

5. Nursing Demands Will Continue to Grow

According to the WHO (World Health Organization) World Health Statistics Report of 2013, over 1 million additional nurses will be needed by 2020. To further back this up, in 2018 the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that 1.1 million additional nurses will be needed to prevent further shortages in this vital healthcare area. Furthermore, the American Nurses Association (ANA) stated in 2018 that it’s expected that there will be more registered nurse jobs requiring fulfillment in the United States than any other profession.

What trends are you noticing in nursing employment? We’d love to hear your input! Join our nursing community on Facebook

References:

● NCBI, “Nursing Shortage”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493175/

● Nurse Journal, “7 Future Job Trends for Nurse Practitioners”

https://nursejournal.org/nurse-practitioner/7-future-job-trends-for-nurse-practitioners/

● American Association of Colleges of Nursing “Nursing Faculty Shortage”

https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Fact-Sheets/Nursing-Faculty-Shortage