In a 4 to 5 pages, write about the nursing ideas/issues that have been addressed in the past year.
I would like a post like this one:
https://www.purdueglobal.edu/blog/nursing/top-10-nursing-trends/
No references needed.
You can come up with your own 10 list items or re-write the post above with your own.
Top 10 Nursing Trends for 2025
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliations
Top 10 Nursing Trends for 2021
As nursing institutions continue to train nurses to help address the current nursing shortage, they should be aware of the trends that are contributing to changes to the nursing profession and the healthcare industry. A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that nurses form the largest percentage of healthcare professionals globally. However, several countries around the world are still experiencing a nursing shortage. Addressing the nursing shortage can be very challenging when the government, nursing institutions, healthcare agencies, and other stakeholders in the industry do not adequately understand nursing trends and how they are likely to affect the nursing profession. As the healthcare landscape continues to transform due to rapid technological advancements and the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses and nursing institutions should keep a watch on the following 2021 nursing trends.
- A Rapid Growth in Nursing Jobs
There has been a speedy growth in jobs for nurses caused in large part by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the Baby Boomers continue to age and as the elderly continue to develop health complications due to complex diseases, healthcare organizations have had no choice but to hire additional nurses to address the high demand for health care. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics had predicted massive job growth for registered nurses between 2019 and 2025. Nursing institutions have played a crucial role in preparing graduate nurses to counter the rapid job growth.
- The Expansion of the Roles of Community Health Nurses
In 2021, the roles of nurses have been seen to shift from primary healthcare delivery at the hospital setting to the community. As opposed to healthcare settings where patients and their families are the focus of care, healthcare delivery in the community mainly entails providing care to populations. The American Hospital Association recently reported that community health nurses generated more than 90% revenues in the past year and this trend has persisted since the beginning of 2021. Therefore, the United States and other countries need competent nurses who can deliver healthcare in the community. The focus of nursing education should also change due to this trend.
- Increased Integration of Telehealth into Healthcare Delivery
There has been a dramatic increase in the use of telehealth in 2021, especially among patients and families with chronic diseases. The lockdowns imposed by countries in an attempt to control the spread of COVID-19 prevented patients from visiting hospitals to obtain health care. Telehealth technology has enabled nurses and other healthcare providers to reach their patients virtually to address their concerns and offer advice to promote effective disease management at home. Privacy concerns related to personal patient information that is collected using telehealth have also increased with the technology’s integration.
- Increased Involvement by Nurses in Advocacy
Today’s nurses have a caring responsibility as well as an advocacy role. The code of ethics for nurses clearly states that advocacy is one of the core responsibilities for nurses. Therefore, nurses are required to participate in the development, implementation, and evaluation of health policies. In 2021, nurses increasingly engaged in policy their state boards of nursing and Nursing Associations. The complexity of health care continues to rise and the emergence of strange diseases continues to pose a great challenge for health professionals. Therefore, by taking part in advocacy, today’s nurses are able to contribute to the improvement of nursing practice to promote an improvement in patient outcomes.
- Enrolment into Virtual Nursing Education Programs
The popularity of online nursing education programs increases greatly in 2021. The Institute of Medicine, in its 2010 report indicated that some of the challenges faced by the nursing profession such as nursing shortage can best be addressed if as many nurses as possible are trained to provide quality and safe care to patients and populations. Online education programs have been of great relevance to nursing students during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They provide nurses with an opportunity to advance their studies even during practice.
- Increased Specialization in Nursing
In most cases, registered nurses have always obtained training to perform general roles aligned with their profession. These nurses find themselves performing varied roles in healthcare settings without any specialized practice. However, in 2021, there has been a rapid rise in the number of nurses who are obtaining specialized training to make their roles more focused than they used to be in the past. For example, many nurses have specialized in physiotherapy, mental health practice, and gerontology among other specialties. These specializations have created additional job opportunities for nurses.
- Rising Demand for Doctorally-Prepared Nurses
Doctorally-prepared nurses have got the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to transform nursing practice. The Institute of Medicine, through its 2010 report issued a recommendation that there is a need to increase the percentage of doctorally-educated nurses as one of the strategies to resolve the challenges that are facing the nursing profession. Nurses with advanced training can provide quality and safe health care just like physicians. Many nations around the world witnessed an increasing shortage in the number of physicians, a factor that has increased the demand for doctoral-prepared nurses.
- Rising Demand for Family Nurse Practitioners
The shortage of physicians witnessed in 2021 increased the demand for Family Nurse Practitioners. A recent study conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges revealed that the United States is experiencing a great shortage of physicians and the trend is expected to continue through 2032. This problem has been worsened further by the COVID-19 pandemic and the expanding size of the elderly populations. Family Nurse Practitioners are required to provide clinical care to families while also addressing the problem of physician shortage in the country.
- Nurse Educators are Needed More than Ever Before
Nurse educators play a role in teaching nursing students who are expected to provide quality and safe care to patients, families, and populations in the near future. As earlier explained, there has been a rapid rise in the number of nurses enrolling in educational programs both online and in nursing institutions. In 2021, nurse educators are needed more than ever to be able to teach nursing students who are constantly enrolling in educational programs.
- Rising Demand for Nurses who Speak Bilingual or Multilingual Languages
In the United States, nurses who are speaking more than one language are highly valued. The rise in patient diversity calls for the need for hospitals to have culturally competent nurses who can provide patient-centered and holistic care. The American Nurses Association has recommended that nurses who speak more than one language be deployed to hospitals and community-based clinics to expand healthcare access for the underprivileged and minority groups.
Conclusion
Constantly changing nursing trends continue to affect nurses, nursing institutions, and other stakeholders in the industry. While some of them have positive effects, others are associated with negative impacts. Understanding nursing trends facilitates early preparation to face the potential impacts and one of the best ways to counter the negative impacts is to obtain relevant training from an accredited nursing institution.