10 Trends In Nursing To Watch Out For

The field of nursing evolved in the 20^th century and has become an essential component of the healthcare industry today. During the coronavirus pandemic, healthcare practitioners emerged as frontline workers against a global health crisis. The sacrifices of our nurses are immeasurable since they helped overcome COVID effectively.

However, the pandemic encouraged every industry to undergo certain changes, and nursing’s no exception. These changes have motivated RNs to hone their expertise, reduce medical mistakes, and educate/empower patients. So, some trends are gradually overwhelming and effectively transforming healthcare in the 21^st century.

Some crucial nursing trends of 2022

It’s been almost two years since the pandemic started, and nurses have courageously participated in the battle against this deadly disease. But we can’t overcome future pandemics without embracing the latest trends in the health industry. Technology’s revolutionized how hospitals operate since we have better training programs to enhance the nursing workforce’s education. So, everyone’s naturally asking: “how does the future of nursing look like?” One can argue that formalized education contains one of the most significant transformations in the history of nursing. But certain current trends have even overtaken nursing education in importance. We’ll explain these nursing trends one by one:

Distance learning

The pandemic rekindled students’ interest in online learning portals. Hence, they leveraged distance learning opportunities to enhance their education in 2020. You can now attain an MSN Family Nurse Practitioner degree to become capable of caring for patients’ overall health with their lifetimes. This degree allows you to assume the role of a healthcare provider in various medical settings. You can’t overlook the importance of online education as one of the most vital trends in healthcare.

Travel nursing

We observe an increase in the demand for travel nurses as more healthcare practitioners leave their traditional employment opportunities for this career. Media outlets are now predicting how travel nursing will continue growing in the future. Money and travel attract nurses who haven’t any residential or family-related attachments. It’s gradually becoming one of the highest-paid jobs in nursing. So, this financially-rewarding career will motivate more RNs to switch in the future.

Increased specialization

In the future, we’ll need more RNs who have specialized in certain nursing subjects, e.g., gerontology, psychiatry, and obstetrics. It ensures nurses are experts in these subjects and can offer patients the required medical services. These specializations also make RNs eligible for career advancement opportunities in the future. With guaranteed competency, RNs can ensure better patient outcomes. That’s how the health industry will have decreased medical mistakes and greater care quality.

Better salaries

It’s estimated nurses were paid over $75,000 in 2020 on average. Last year, this salary grew 4% to exceed the much-anticipated $80,000 landmark! Experts predict nursing shall grow by 16% in the 2020s, because of which media outlets such as Vox are calling it one of the best-paid jobs of the future. So, students shouldn’t neglect considering nursing during their career-making decisions. This job comes with employee satisfaction, a strong work-life balance, and chances of career advancement.

Technology growth

The coronavirus pandemic compelled healthcare professionals to exercise caution while treating the patient. Maintaining physical distance became integral for improving patient outcomes. So, nurses leveraged telehealth and telemedicine to treat patients. These technologies enable health experts to treat patients without physical contact. Moreover, smart wearables made patients responsible for their health. These devices allow nurses to monitor/regulate patients’ well-being remotely.

BSN required

We expect BSN to become the minimum standard for future nurses. It’s been a national dream since 2010 to encourage more RNs to pursue a higher degree than an associate’s. In 2020, more than 65% of nurses had attained a bachelor’s degree. It’s estimated that 80% of RNs would meet this standard by 2025 now. Therefore, BSN degree-holders qualify for better employment opportunities and can further enhance their education by acquiring an MSN. So, higher education’s a trend itself!

Mental health

The pandemic shattered the nation’s mental health, and even RNs weren’t spared this terrible fate. A survey shows that 62% of nurses in 2021 described their mental health as worse than it was in 2020. So, mental health support for the nursing workforce shall become a trend in the future. This support has already appeared in the form of platforms such as The Happy App and The Therapy Coalition. So, these platforms enable nurses to share their feelings with others and offer emotional support.

Entrepreneurship opportunities

More nurses are seeking entrepreneurship opportunities today. It allows RNs to establish a business and become financially self-sufficient. Therefore, healthcare practitioners such as nurse navigators are becoming entrepreneurs since they offer direct services to patients. Now, more patients living in rural areas can access quality care provided by qualified professionals. Nurses today want to become autonomous and independent. So, nurse entrepreneurship is likely to grow in the future.

Bilingual nurses

One overlooked feature of the health industry involves the increasing population of non-white races in the United States. It’s estimated that America will become a white-minority country in 2045, so we need more bilingual healthcare practitioners to treat future patients. We need RNs who can speak a language other than English (preferably Spanish) to treat American patients. Therefore, nurses who can speak non-English dialects will discover increased employment opportunities in the future.

The shortage

There’s a shortage of nurses facing the American health sector today. Experts believe that some 4.7 million nurses shall retire by 2030, because of which we’ll require more individuals to join the workforce. This nursing shortage has become more apparent with the emergence of the pandemic today. Now, we need more students to become future nurses. This nursing shortage has proven beneficial for nursing students as they can find lucrative job offers right after graduating from institutes.

Conclusion

In January, nursing was voted the most trusted vocation in the United States for twenty years in a row. It seems that RNs being trustworthy professionals won’t stop being a crucial health trend in the future. So, we’ve discussed some other major trends in the nursing industry that will influence this subject in 2022. Advances in technology have made telehealth and telemedicine the future of healthcare. Digital learning allows more students to pursue affordable education. The shortage of qualified professionals has caused an increase in employment opportunities for present-day nursing students. We also expect more RNs to specialize in the future. Nurses will become more important for empowering/educating patients.