As the world’s population swells and ages, its need for physicians, registered nurses, dentists and long-term care professionals will continue to grow. And according to a report published by the Nursing Economics Journal, “awaiting this increase in demand is a health care workforce in which many practitioners, particularly RNs and primary care physicians, have been projected to grow more slowly than in the past, possibly leading to shortages (Association of American Medical Colleges, 2010).”
In addition to population factors, demand for health care providers is expected to rise due to a bevy of new innovations as well as new diagnostic, treatment and monitoring technologies. The expansion of health insurance coverage to up to 32 million Americans under the Obamacare system will also be a significant factor in the near future.
And although the national nurse faculty vacancy rate sits at only 6.9 percent, as reported by the American Nurse’s Association, the percentage of nurse educators aged 50 or older has reached 60 percent. As the baby boomers retire, the nursing industry may be faced with a major dearth in employment.
But we’d like to hear what you think. Has enrollment in nursing programs at universities and colleges increased enough to manage the uptick in demand or will the nursing industry need to take measures to ramp up interest in nursing as a career?
