Nursing Training Programs

While the overall job outlook for a recession market is less than bullish, most analysts expect jobs in the health care sector to grow quite rapidly over the next decade. In the context of nationwide job losses, demographic shifts, as well as changes in regulatory structures, as expected to increase the overall size of the nursing profession, from the 2.5 million registered nurses today to an expected 3 million professionals within the next five years.

Today, the majority of registered nursing professionals are employed by hospitals, although the demographic shifts are expected to increase opportunities for clinical and home-based specialty care with an increase in the elderly population in the United States. As a result of these shifting trends, the overall health care market should expand, providing a growing number of opportunities for nurses over the next decade, particularly for in-home, geriatric and clinical care.

At the same time, as hospitals seek to lower costs, nursing jobs are becoming more demanding. Nurses are expected to perform medical, administrative and patient care duties in a single shift, as well as actively learning about new advances in technology and science. Those entering the nursing profession should anticipate and understand the nature of these demands, as nursing can be challenging in a physical, emotional and mental sense, requiring a variety of skills.

For those seeking job security and opportunity, however, nursing remains one of the fastest growing fields. In nearly every community, demand for health care is rising, which creates additional responsibilities for qualified nurses.