Analyzing Future Job Trends for Nurse Practitioners
The healthcare industry is booming and the need to recruit qualified physicians and nurse practitioners is at an all-time high. According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the country has around 270,000 practitioners earning a mean salary of $105,903. The profession also takes the 4th spot out of the 100 best jobs in the United States. Being an NP means working in a versatile career that comes with immense growth and learning opportunities.
In this blog, we take a look at the future job trends of nurse practitioners and how the industry will look a few years from now.
Shortage of Primary Care Providers
There is a short supply of primary care professionals in the country coupled with ever-increasing demand. Recently, a number of procedures and policies have been created to place more responsibilities on nurse practitioners. These policies have assisted in the growth of the workforce for the past decade and the trend is expected to continue.
Right now, pursuing a career as a nurse practitioner is perhaps the best career choice for people that are interested in providing primary healthcare services to a wide range of patients. With practitioners being given increased levels of autonomy, the opportunity for growth is constantly expanding.
Increasing Demand for Family Care
The United States is expected to experience a severe shortage of physicians by 2025 as stated by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Family care, along with oncology, is currently experiencing the highest demand despite accounting for more than 50% of the nurse practitioner workforce. It’s also an excellent career choice for new or experienced professionals seeking a chance of pace.
Nurse Practitioners are Slowly Becoming Mainstream
It’s almost certain that an average American has encountered at least one nurse practitioner while receiving some form of healthcare service. Today, it’s common to find such healthcare professionals in physician group practices, ambulatory surgical centers, urgent care centers, community health centers, and other healthcare institutions. Increased autonomy and delegation of responsibility has resulted in an abundance of nurse practitioners with varying specializations.
Skyrocketing healthcare costs and scarce budgets are common concerns shared by consumers, hospitals, and insurance companies alike. As such, the demand for nurse practitioners is increasing due to inexpensive training costs, low hiring expenses, and quality healthcare services that are on par with their physician counterparts.
Vacancies Due to Aging Nursing Staff
According to a report published by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, a large number of vacancies are expected to appear due to aging and retired staff creating increased demand for Ph.D’s. The average age of nurses with Ph.D. was noted to be around 56.4, those that went on to become professors were at 62, and professors with only a master’s degree were around 58 years of age. Within the next decade, these professionals will retire and create a vacuum required to be filled by highly-educated nurse practitioners.
Increased Demand in Outpatient Centers
A large number of patients require continued healthcare services after being admitted into a hospital and rely on nurse practitioners for outpatient services. According to a study done on nurse practitioner staffing, it was discovered that 25% worked in private offices, 20% in independent clinics, 15% in a hospital clinic, and only 14% that worked in a hospital.
The study also showed that the majority of nurses worked at numerous locations while working under temporary contracts by hospitals requiring additional staff.
Need for Nurse Practitioners in Rural and Under-Developed Areas
The physician shortage is already proving to have negative consequences across various locations but it’s the rural and under-developed inner city areas that suffer the most. In 2010, there was a shortage of 20,000 doctors, which is expected to grow to 214,000 physicians by 2025. The areas of nursing that are highest in demand are nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, clinic nurse specialists, and nurse anesthetics.
Improved Education and Research
As with any discipline related to medicine, nursing too requires constant study and staying up-to-date with the latest research. The most effective way of doing so is by reading medical journals and keeping up with the latest advancements in nursing research. An abundance of research scholarships has also encouraged practitioners to study more and provide higher levels of quality care.
Increased life expectancy and diversity within the population is changing the education and learning dynamics. As the aging community starts to live longer, the need to learn and implement new techniques has become mandatory.
Illnesses are also evolving and becoming increasingly complex. Experienced nurse practitioners with interdisciplinary skills have now become valuable assets for society. The demand for such healthcare providers is growing, prompting many nurse practitioners to diversify their skills in order to remain relevant.
Hospitals and healthcare organizations are now focused on developing effective retention strategies for nurse practitioners. They are being recognized for delivering high-quality patient care services and appreciated for their hard work.
Medical Associates Consulting is a medical staffing agency in Florida that has access to a large numbers of physicians, anesthesiologists, and pain management professionals seeking employment in healthcare institutions across the country. They help hospitals and other healthcare providers access some of the best talents in the country and add value to their organization. Contact them today for more information.
