There are 5.5 million nurses and nurse’s aides in America. That’s 2.6% of the population and yet nursing is still one of the fastest growing occupations. In fact, the country is currently facing a nursing shortage unlike any other before. 

Nursing is essential for a smooth running health care system. Nurses are far from one-trick employees – they perform countless vital tasks in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and more. The number of nurses on hand (or a lower nurse-to-patient ratio) has been directly related to patient survival and recovery without additional complications.

Some of the most in-demand specializations for nurses include:

• Forensic Nursing: Nurses who care for patients that were victims of crime. These nurses assist with collecting evidence from their patient’s injuries in order to build a case against the attacker.
• Infection Control: Nurses who care for patients infected with diseases such as HIV, STDs, or tuberculosis must be specially trained to ensure the contagious disease is not passed along unintentionally to either the nurse themselves or other patients.
• Management: These days, nurses who can educate or manage other nurses are in high demand. These career-oriented positions typically pay better, sometimes even into the six figures, but do require additional education. Management, education, and advocacy are three essential roles in recruiting more high quality professional nurses to the field.

Nursing isn’t an easy job. Over half of nurses report that stress and frustration plague them daily in their job. However, most nurses also agree that their job is very fulfilling. Very few careers are as directly related to public health and serving the community as nursing. Also, the public is genuinely grateful for nurses. For the last eleven years, nurses have been ranked by Americans as the most trusted profession – a pretty impressive feat.
Currently, there is a shortage of nurses in the workplace. This shortage is caused by a range of reasons, but the main ones are:

• Baby boomers are aging and require more intensive care
• The recession forced many people to neglect preventative care or lose their insurance, driving up the demand for health care in the long term
• Fewer nurses are pursuing bachelor’s degree which would enable them to get the best nursing jobs

The shortage is leading to salary wars (hospitals offering hefty bonuses to new nurses and more). At the end of the day, professional, skilled, and intelligent people are desperately needed in the nursing field in the US and around the world.