Aging Population Opens Growth Of Health Care Field Opportunities
The numbers are staggering. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, a division of the Department of Labor, states that there will be one million new nursing job openings. The unsettling part of this number is that 126,000 positions were left open in 2005 according to the American Hospital Association. Those researching single mothers nursing information will find that by 2016 that number is expected to top 1 million.
Nursing is a large field that has different skill levels attached to it. From nursing home care to ER and trauma, nurses are a vital part of a healthcare team. The deficit in the numbers of nurses required may be one reason the government started an online nursing job bank site with a $10 million financial aid package combined with it. Not much more should be needed to convince students this is a vital career option.
Quite frankly, online nursing degrees are one of the fastest growing areas in the online college world as distance learning program materials will evidence. Many different degrees are offered by a growing number of schools to meet those different skill levels, such as RN or LPN. In addition to the government aid offered for those entering this field, several nursing schools and other medical institutions and societies are offering their own financial assistance.
Nursing has grown considerably from the days of Florence Nightingale. They work with much more than just a thermometer, lamp and stoic attitude. A solid knowledge of math and technology has become a must these days. Their work arenas have expanded way beyond the hospital and doctor's office, too. These days, many provide at-home long term/homebound care. The most ambitious have set up their own offices, providing lower cost health alternatives as nurse practitioners.
We all know the expression "baby boomer", but what might not be known is the size of this age group. It was a huge population explosion at the time and now, in the later years, these citizens are all aging. Indeed, nurses themselves of that era are aging too and engaging in their own retirement from the work force. A part of why there is and will be a shortage of nurses is due to the advancement of age of this population demographic.
What online colleges are offering is basically the gamut of degrees for those in nursing. There are two year Associate programs, as well as Bachelor of Science degrees that take four years on average. There are now even accelerated nursing programs to fast track new nurses into this in-demand field. Those who wish to pursue a nurse practitioner career can get the degrees they need, as can those who want to work in clinical research and advanced clinical practice and health administration who will need their Doctor of Nursing degree.
No one denies that being a practicing nurse is not an easy field. The incredible, and growing, shortage means working under a considerable amount of stress. Compounding this is that many of the institutions that need nurses the most are not in the most choice locations, operating with the latest in medical technology or with the most desirable individuals, both patients or fellow professionals. At the same time, the ladder for rapid advancement is readily available to anyone who wants to climb it.
Nursing is a large field that has different skill levels attached to it. From nursing home care to ER and trauma, nurses are a vital part of a healthcare team. The deficit in the numbers of nurses required may be one reason the government started an online nursing job bank site with a $10 million financial aid package combined with it. Not much more should be needed to convince students this is a vital career option.
Quite frankly, online nursing degrees are one of the fastest growing areas in the online college world as distance learning program materials will evidence. Many different degrees are offered by a growing number of schools to meet those different skill levels, such as RN or LPN. In addition to the government aid offered for those entering this field, several nursing schools and other medical institutions and societies are offering their own financial assistance.
Nursing has grown considerably from the days of Florence Nightingale. They work with much more than just a thermometer, lamp and stoic attitude. A solid knowledge of math and technology has become a must these days. Their work arenas have expanded way beyond the hospital and doctor's office, too. These days, many provide at-home long term/homebound care. The most ambitious have set up their own offices, providing lower cost health alternatives as nurse practitioners.
We all know the expression "baby boomer", but what might not be known is the size of this age group. It was a huge population explosion at the time and now, in the later years, these citizens are all aging. Indeed, nurses themselves of that era are aging too and engaging in their own retirement from the work force. A part of why there is and will be a shortage of nurses is due to the advancement of age of this population demographic.
What online colleges are offering is basically the gamut of degrees for those in nursing. There are two year Associate programs, as well as Bachelor of Science degrees that take four years on average. There are now even accelerated nursing programs to fast track new nurses into this in-demand field. Those who wish to pursue a nurse practitioner career can get the degrees they need, as can those who want to work in clinical research and advanced clinical practice and health administration who will need their Doctor of Nursing degree.
No one denies that being a practicing nurse is not an easy field. The incredible, and growing, shortage means working under a considerable amount of stress. Compounding this is that many of the institutions that need nurses the most are not in the most choice locations, operating with the latest in medical technology or with the most desirable individuals, both patients or fellow professionals. At the same time, the ladder for rapid advancement is readily available to anyone who wants to climb it.
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What online degrees are doing is preparing new nursing students to step into a world where their skills will only continue to grow. Once graduated from nursing colleges they will be moving into a field where the demand will only increase and where they can truly make a difference in someone's life.