7 Nursing Facts You Should Know

7 Nursing Facts You Should Know : Nursing is a vast healthcare field compared to the other medical fields and constantly rising exponentially in the US. Nursing students contribute to more than half of all healthcare students because of their increasing demand. By working in medical camps, actively volunteering in disaster zones, and assisting individuals in preventing the spread of disease, they contribute to enhancing the quality of life for their patients and the community.

Not only that, but every driven Registered Nurse with a BSN, MSN, or ADN has a chance to select their most-suited job with a higher than average monthly pay. The higher the level of their nursing education, the more the chances of climbing the nursing hierarchy in any organization.

Nurses can work as Nurse Practitioners in health and medical centers, hospitals, and private or doctor’s clinics. At the same time, nurses in administration hold the title of nurse manager, head nurse, executive nurse, or operations nurse. Similar to this, online or in nursing institutions, nurse educators instruct students in nursing.

Because of this widely expanding field, if you are planning to up your career in nursing, you must look at some facts in nursing.

Nurses do not just Work with Patients but Their Families too

You will be dealing only with the patient on infrequent occasions. Patients will have an attendant or a family member to care for them.

Therefore, if you like working with families, becoming a family nurse practitioner will be the perfect profession. You will get to deal with where all members can approach you if they face any health concerns.

You must reassure a patient’s family members and update them about their health condition. If the patient is too sick, they will often require a family member to communicate on their behalf. Nurses also excel at explaining medical conditions in simpler words that anyone can understand. It provides the patient’s families with much-needed comfort in knowing what is happening precisely. It may even lessen their stress levels regarding a sick family member.
You can choose from More Than 100 Nursing Professions

With over 100 available nursing professions, the most popular in-demand specialties include nurse practitioner, midwife, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Intensive care Unit (ICU), oncology, and medical surgery.

Midwives offer specialized assistance during labor, while neonatal intensive care nurses monitor new mothers and babies. Especially if their health requires recovery and support after delivery, they are in charge of their caretaking until they are fit to go home.

Medical surgery is another advanced field where nurses plan care treatments in consultation with surgeons and other healthcare professionals. They assess and evaluate the plan taking into consideration the patient medical history, test results, and current condition. They also offer individualized patient care before and after surgery by checking their vitals.
More than 3,393,200 Nursing Positions to be Open by 2026

With the aging nursing population and the global Covid-19 pandemic, the rising demand for nursing professions call for more open positions. As of this year, nearly six million nurses work in the US, with around 100,000 nursing jobs expected to open each year and 3,393,200 open positions by 2026.

It indicates an increase of 9% from 2020-2030, while the average growth of all other occupations is 8%. Therefore, such levels of demand and growth bode well for those entering the nursing field.
Nurse Deliver Most of the Nation’s Long-Term Care

For people with chronic illnesses and diseases, nurses provide the majority of the long-term care for such individuals. According to Long Term Care, people above 65 years of age have a 70% chance of requiring long-term healthcare, with 20% requiring care for more than five years.

The US’s rising aging population is the biggest reason for this. Another reason is the long-term care of a newborn. Nurses working in maternity wards also provide long-term childcare, especially if the child sustains birth injuries or is born with congenital disabilities. They offer medical attention in case of emergencies and keep working with the child’s parents until the child has recovered. It can be up to three to five years.
You can change your Career Path without Changing Your Profession

The nursing career comes with the flexibility of switching your line of work within the nursing field. It also provides exposure and allows you to explore the scope of different nursing careers to see what fits you best.

Suppose you work in a hospital with multiple departments. In that case, you can easily switch from one department to another by offering your services. It reduces monotony by constantly engaging you in different fields.

For example, you can spend as much time as you want being an orthopedic nurse before switching to an oncology or cardiac nurse. It does not disrupt your training period; employers pay you according to your job function.
General Nursing Practices are Standard Worldwide

Perhaps the most significant advantage of stepping foot in nursing is having little to no geographical borders impeding your career progress. You can volunteer in conflict zones and impoverished regions with little to no access to healthcare as a travel nurse and work worldwide. You can even establish medical camps.

You can do this because of standard nursing practices worldwide. It offers you much more exposure and a chance to travel and learn about the world. On top of that, you effectively serve multiple communities to improve people’s quality of life. Knowing that you helped bring real change in the world is a feeling like no other. You also get handsome pay in return for your efforts.
About 62.2% of all Registered Nurses (RNs) Work in Hospitals

Nurses make up more than half of hospital employees in the US. It is because every department of a hospital requires nurses. Nurses carry out most healthcare-related tasks as a foundation for all healthcare units.

Hospitals are where all healthcare workers collaborate to devise patients’ healthcare plans and provide after-care services. Technicians, medical assistants, therapists, oncologists, cardiologists, and psychotherapists work on separate floors within the same hospital.

It also allows you to switch from one floor or department to another to get a holistic nursing experience.

Conclusion

Nursing is one of the fastest and largest growing professions in the US, with an equally growing pay scale. The aging US citizens and nursing population retiring from their profession open up multiple opportunities for nursing candidates.

You can expect more than 3 million open nursing positions by 2026, with 100,000 open positions each year. On top of that, you have the flexibility to switch your career path without switching your profession. It expands your horizon and lets you explore multiple nursing positions before settling on one.

With standard general nursing practices worldwide, you have a chance to work anywhere in the world. You can choose to work with families, senior citizens, or infants. Nurses provide most long-term healthcare to US citizens and predominantly work in hospitals with other healthcare providers.

Use these facts to your advantage to excel in your nursing career.