The Nursing Shortage: Why Nursing is the Growth Area of the Economy

By: Grant Eckert

Nursing is one of the fastest growing careers in the United States. Over the next few years, nursing will create the second largest number of jobs among all occupations. According to the United States Department of Labor, this trend will last through 2012 with faster than average growth for registered nurses. You can expect similar trends for home health aides and nursing specialists such as clinical nurses, anesthetists, midwives and nursing practitioners.

Nurses, over the next few decades, will be required to treat patients, educate patients and the public about the various medical conditions and provide information and emotional support to the patient's family members and friends. High schools, junior colleges, colleges and universities will provide an increasing number of educated and trained nurses to address the growing concerns and demands of the American public. Over the next decade, the challenge for nurses will be high as they face a fast-paced world.

This boom in nursing careers is the result of a number of converging factors. The most commonly quoted is the boomers. The population is aging. There is an ever- growing amount of elderly. As they grow older, they will access, increasingly, the health-system. The country will need nurses to help the aged remain active and healthy. Nurses' Aides will assist the elderly in remaining in their homes. Various types of nurses will also work in homes for the elderly and in the geriatric field.

The population of the United States continues to grow. The country needs more nurses to meet the needs of this increasing and varied population. The extension of a person's lifetime merely adds to the increased demand. The expanding medical technologies and continuous discoveries in nutrition and health have advanced the age of an individual. New technological innovations also ensure individuals are alive and functioning longer than before believed possible.

Technology and new nursing techniques ensure certain injuries and diseases no longer mean an automatic death sentence. Spinal cord afflictions and diseases, severe burns, congenital irregularities and some diseases once thought insurmountable are no longer such a difficulty. Medication, technology and rehabilitation are ensuring many people survive where before they died. The country needs nurses to train in ways to facilitate in these new trends. Nurses will ensure people continue to live long and comfortable lives.

There are other reasons why nursing is becoming a strong career choice. The presence of disease and the fear of upcoming epidemics are two rationales behind why nurses are a necessity. There is little doubt in many doctor's minds that the earth is due for a large epidemic. SARS, the Bird Flu, Super Flu, Flesh-eating Disease and Mad Cow Disease are possible deadly scenarios. Every community needs nurses to combat these deadly viral infections and other possible pandemics.

Currently, communities require nurses to help in the fight of an actual epidemic - AIDS/HIV. Although it appears to be under a certain amount of control, the need is very strong for nurses to continue to be at the front lines. More nurses are the answer to helping patients understand and cope with the ongoing and far-reaching consequences of the disease. Nurses will help-out patients and educate the public in what the illness is, and inform them how to treat and how to avoid it.

The United States is at war. This is a fact. There is the traditional concept of war in Afghanistan and Iraq for people to deal with as well as the idea of a war on terror. The war produces casualties of all kinds. Veterans are the obvious victims. They suffer short and long-term damage. It may be physical or psychological. The schools need to provide nurses in sufficient numbers to help heal physical wounds and cope with permanent damage. These male and female will require trained nurses to teach men, women and their families to deal with the problems, recognize the signs and help them help themselves.

There is more than one reason why nursing is becoming a growth career. In the following years, both individuals and the country as a whole will see the need for an increasing and active nursing sector.

Source: articlesuniverse