Question

Develop a 5-year forecast of occupational market conditions for nurses. Explain your work. (for next 5 years)

Answer 1

The number of people working as Registered Nurses (RNs) has grown strongly in the past five years and is expected to grow strongly over the next five years too. In the coming five years the health care industry will see one of the fastest growth in terms of employment of registered nurses (RNs) along with other health care professionals. More than half a million positions are expected to open up for registered nurses. An additional 525,000 RNs will be needed to replace those who retire or leave the field, making the total requirement to over a million jobs by 2025.

Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow by 12-15% in the next five or more years which is much faster than the average of all occupations. The demand for nurses in the United States alone will soar to >26% by the end of 2020. More nursing jobs outside the hospital and interest in critical care are also some of the factors that will influence the availability and growth of nursing jobs.

From the recent Covid-19 pandemic we can learn that the demand for nurses will only surge especially in the coming years. The current picture shows a huge shortage of nurses available to handle the patients affected with the novel Corona Virus country wide and across different nations. Some nursing specialities in high demand include critical care nursing, pediatric nursing, oncology nursing, dialysis nurse, nurse instructor and home health care nurse. Finally there is a strong and continued demand for quality health care professionals especially because of the aging population and as more people gain insurance coverage and access to care.