The phrase \”nursing shortage\” has been on the tongues of industry insiders for a very long time now. It\’s something that seems daunting and scary, because too few nurses means limited healthcare and potential dangers for the whole of our society. But before panic or despair sets in, it\’s worthwhile to take a closer look at the potential nursing shortage and what it means.

First it\’s time for a few powerful statistics. The first is from the BLS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and it shows that the nursing shortage at the end of the decade will be nearly in the seven figures. They project 800,000 unfilled nursing positions. A corresponding statistic shows a need for 600,000 new RNs to join the industry by 2018. Both figures are powerful and shed some light on the situation.

But it\’s not enough to see the raw numbers, it\’s also crucial that you understand where this nursing shortage is coming from. One of the most important factors is the growing demand for, and reliance on, nurses in the healthcare industry. A surprising figure of almost 40% of nurses work outside of hospitals today, and within hospitals, they outnumber doctors at a 4 to 1 rate, which is huge.

Another factor to add into the mix is that nurses are becoming older than they were generations ago. The average age of nurses is now 47, versus just 40 about two decades ago. This figure means that more nurses are nearing retirement and leaving the workplace, which helps to create that need for replacement and new RNs to join the fold.

Along with that is the fact that there is going to be a greater need for nurses. It\’s not just nurses who are getting older, the entire population is, and as baby boomers become seniors, then there is a huge new demand for healthcare in hospitals and all kinds of facilities.

But once again, it\’s certainly not time to panic at the prospects of this nursing shortage. Instead, if you are a student or you are looking for a career change, then consider this a golden chance to enter an industry that needs you. By obtaining an accelerated BSN in just 12-24 months, you can enter this dynamic field and have your choice of open positions and you\’ll be very highly sought after.

The sooner you can get a degree, the quicker you can become employed and start pursuing that career path. An accelerated BSN helps you accomplish this quicker than you could with traditional programs. And it\’s important today for nurses to get this education even though it\’s not technically required. Statistics show that at least half of nurses today have a BSN or more, up from a quarter of nurses two to three decades ago.

Numbers don\’t usually lie, and they mean here that a nursing shortage is real, it\’s on its way, and it could have a big impact on our society. So why just sit there and be unhappy with your own job? Start pursuing your accelerated BSN, and then get ready to fly into this exciting line of work where hundreds of thousands of open positions with high salaries and great benefits are awaiting you.

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Category: Career
Keywords: Nursing,Nurse Shortage,Nursing Jobs,Careers,Online Nursing Degree, BSN Degree, BSN, Accelerated BSN