It’s never too late to go back and study. Perhaps no other bachelor’s degree is as certain to guarantee employability than nursing. There are over 4 million registered nurses in the United States, 83% of which currently hold a professional position. This proves that not only is nursing one of the most in-demand jobs in the country, but it also has massive potential for expansion.
Plus, as COVID-19 continues to ravage the world, there has arguably never been a time when new nurses have been needed more.
The Role Of a Registered Nurse
With around 100 different nursing roles that students can specialize in, a registered nurse’s general role is expansive and difficult to define. A registered nurse’s most common responsibilities include patient monitoring, administering medication, documenting patient medical history, and producing treatment plans.
The Workplace Of a Registered Nurse
Hospitals employ 60% of America’s RN population – either public or private. The remaining 40% work at hospice facilities, nursing homes, government offices, and other facilities.
The past year has also witnessed a considerable rise in the number of registered nurses in telemedicine and telehealth positions to keep up with the pandemic’s demand.
The speed with which this sector has developed has led the American Telemedicine Association to believe that over half of services will be provided to patients virtually by 2030 – meaning there’s going to be a big demand for nurses to fill this sector.
The Future
As mentioned earlier, COVID-19 has both sustained and increased the demand for registered nurses. However, there are plenty of other reasons for growth aside from the pandemic.
The last decade witnessed an increase of 30 million American citizens living over the age of 65. With this figure set to rise again in the coming years, there will be an increased amount of reliance on the healthcare system by this elderly population, which means plenty of new RNs will be required.
An average of 1 million registered nurses who are currently working today will be nearing the age of retirement within the next decade, which will also present plenty of gaps for newly qualified registered nurses.
The average wage of a registered nurse is around $73,300, which will undoubtedly increase in the future.
What Is Required To Become an RN?
The bare minimum entry requirements are either a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN), which takes four years to complete, or an Associate’s of Science in Nursing (ASN), which takes two years.
Concluding Thoughts
Based on the evidence presented in this article, the demand for new registered nurses is there and is set to increase. Get qualified so you can take advantage of the opportunities as they arise!
