The Highs and Lows of Nursing

THE HIGHS+LOWS OF NURSING THE THRIVING NURSING INDUSTRY IS SEEING A SHORTAGE OF NURSES. From hospitals to homes, registered nurses are an essential part of the health and medical industries. While it's the highest- growing occupation in the United States, nursing is somehow still facing a shortage that's expected to continue for the next decade, despite available positions. The State of the Nursing Industry At 26%, the position of registered nurse is the top occupation for job growth in the U.S. through 2020, and there are plenty of other nursing-related jobs available. ORDERLY $16,535 - $31,052 NURSE ASSISTANT $18,201 - $34,799 HOSPICE AIDE $18,957 - $37,181 ENDOSCOPY TECHNICIAN 24,116 - $42,963 REGISTERED NURSE $41,374 - $80,024 DIRECTOR OF NURSING $54,017 $116,511 $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $120,000 $140,000 WIDESPREAD NURSING SHORTAGE An intense nursing shortage is expected through 2030. This shortage is credited to baby boomers reaching ages where medical assistance is required more frequently. >»STATES WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF OPENINGS FOR NURSES California 10,900 Florida New York 7,440 North Carolina 4,093 6,360 Ohio Illinois New Jersey Michigan Georgia 3,340 Massachusetts 4,630 4,020 3,700 3,500 3,290 The Future Nurse Shortage By 2020, there will be a nurse shortage between By 2020, 800,000- 1,000,000. 0 400,000 new nurses will be needed simply to fill the vacancies of retirees. The shortage, due to baby boomers aging and needing more medical attention, is expected to hit the south and the west the hardest. NURSING EDUCATION DIVERSITY With such a wide range of available positions, the applicant/student base is growing, as well. « The percentage of male nurses has more than tripled in the last three decades. And non-Caucasian RNs have gone from 20% to 25% in the past decade. » 5% To add to the diversity, nearly half of those in nursing school programs come from non-nursing backgrounds. 12% Entering a Non-Nursing Degree Entering as a Certified Nursing Assistant/Home Care Aide 45% Entering as a Former Pre-Medical Student Entering as a Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Other 35% Meanwhile, the 10% increase in nurses holding BSN degrees has decreased the risk of patient death and failure to rescue by 5%. CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR NURSES With the increasing problem of a nursing shortage, nurses should keep aware of contact hours necessary for their license renewal and be careful that they don't burn out on the job. »CONTACI HOURS FOR FULL-TIME NURS ES **All contact hour windows of completion vary from state to state. States without listings have other guidelines. Listed states may also have further guidelines, in addition to hours of completion or guidelines on the specific classes that their hours are assigned to. 0-10 11-20 21-30 31-40+ 45 12 30 24 15 20 24 20 30 20 30 30 30 24 30 14 24 30 15 30 24 20 24 30 NURSING BURNOUT Burnout is common among nurses. They feel overworked and underappreciated, which leads to despondency in their positions, and it can be costly. For every 1%-increase of annual nurse turnover, hospitals lose Replacing a nurse costs an average $65,000. $300,000. on top of the previous nurse's salary. The country already needs more nurses. Soon, it will need a lot more. To find out more about how schools like Aurora University Online are helping the nursing shortage, visit aurora.edu/nursing 1893 SOURCES: bls.gov, census.gov, payscale.com, ajm.sagepub.com, aacn.nche.edu, ce.nurse.com, successfactors.com, ajj.com, huffingtonpost.com Aurora University Online Programs