Nurses represent the largest sector of all health professions, with more than three million registered nurses (RNs) in the United States. Yet there continues to be a shortage of RNs, making them in high demand for at least the next decade. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists registered nursing among the top occupations in terms of job growth through 2022. The RN workforce is expected to grow to 3.24 million in 2022, an increase of 526,800, or 19 percent, from 2012. The BLS also projects the need for 525,000 replacement nurses in the workforce, bringing the number of job openings for nurses due to growth and replacements to 1.05 million by 2022.
The future demand for new and replacement RNs is expected to increase dramatically as baby boomers reach their 60s and older, resulting in a greater need for specialty services such as geriatrics, home care, palliative care and hospice. The ratio of potential caregivers to the people most likely to need care, the elderly population, will decrease by 40 percent between 2010 and 2030, according to a 2001 report by the University of Illinois College of Nursing. Demographic changes may limit access to healthcare unless the number of nurses grows in proportion to the rising elderly population.
The aging of the nursing workforce itself contributes to the current shortfall of RNs. According to a 2013 survey by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and The Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers, 55 percent of the RN workforce is age 50 or older, and more than one million registered nurses will reach retirement age within the next 10 to 15 years, reports the Health Resources and Services Administration. As today’s nurses age and retire, more nurses will need to be trained to take their place.
Importance of RN to BSN degree
Although an entry-level RN position may be obtained with an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a diploma program, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree is becoming the more common path of entering the nursing field. The Robert Woods Johnson Foundation notes that nurses with bachelor’s degrees are already in higher demand than those with only basic training. Nurses with bachelor’s and master’s degrees are more likely to receive a job offer upon graduation than any other field, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Nurses with an RN to BSN degree, which is appropriate for those RNs who have the diploma or ADN, may be able to advance their careers with additional types of nursing jobs, including leadership positions, negotiate higher salaries, and use their four-year degree in other fields.
What is the RN to BSN degree?
An online RN to BSN program requires additional coursework and increases awareness of patient care and public/community health concerns. RN to BSN programs are usually one to two years in length. Many are available through online programs, allowing nurses to continue their careers while completing their advanced studies.
Online RN to BSN courses may include advanced assessment and diagnostic skills; nursing research, theory and practice; health sciences; community health assessment; nurse leadership; and computer literacy and medical technology.
Texas ranks high for jobs in nursing
Healthcare leaders in Texas have called for more RNs to be BSN-trained in order to meet new healthcare changes and demands, a diverse population of patients and the advancement of medical technologies. Texas nursing schools have responded to this call.
RNs in Texas are among the most highly educated nurses in the country. Nationwide, about 37 percent of RNs have a BSN degree or higher. According to the Texas Board of Nursing, more than 50 percent of Texas RNs have a BSN degree or higher.
Nursingschoolhub.com ranks Texas as the fourth best state for jobs in nursing, behind Florida, California and Hawaii. Texas offers a great balance between cost of living and nurse pay rates, and there are numerous employment options, particularly for BSN nurses. Although the larger metropolitan areas, including Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, offer higher pay rates, smaller cities, such as Austin and San Antonio, may be attractive. Rural nurses are also in high demand.
Sources:
www.dshs.state.tx.us/chs/cnws/nursing-workforce-reports
www.texasnurse.org
http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/registered-nurse
