As the population continues to age, Texas, along with the rest of the nation, will be facing a critical shortage of nurses. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Projections: 2012-2022, released in December of 2013, there will be a need for 525,000 replacement nurses in the workforce bringing the total job openings for nurses to 1.05 million by 2022. In Texas, according to the Texas Team’s Strategic Plan for the State of Texas, between 2005 and 2020, the demand for registered nurses is expected to increase by 86 percent, yet the supply will only increase by 53 percent. Considering these numbers, there is clearly a growing need for nurses in Texas. To further complicate the need, the Institute of Medicine recommends that at least 80 percent of all RNs hold a baccalaureate degree in nursing by 2020. Some nursing programs in Texas are helping to fill the growing need for highly educated nurses through online RN to BSN programs.
Aging workforce
According to the 2013 Nursing Workforce Demographics and Trends Report by the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies, the aging of the current nursing workforce continues to be an area of great concern. In 2014 the youngest member of the baby boom generation turned 50, with more than half being eligible for retirement in 2020, which could result in a significant outflow of nursing staff. Currently in Texas, 41.3 percent of RNs are over the age of 50. This will create a significant need for nurses and educators to train them.
Need for nurse educators
Of greatest concern in Texas, as with many areas of the nation, is the lack of faculty in the schools of nursing to accommodate the need for new and higher-educated nurses. The need for qualified faculty will continue to be great in the future for nursing programs in Texas. Any nurse interested in becoming a nursing educator will have many opportunities. There are needs now and as the faculty age, the need for quality nursing faculty will grow significantly in the nursing programs in Texas. This is another area where online nursing programs can add value and help ameliorate the situation. Online programs provide flexibility, not only to the student, but also the professors.
Online RN to BSN programs in Texas
One of the strategies implemented in Texas is to develop seamless transitions between associate and baccalaureate education in the nursing programs in Texas. Considering the vastness of the state of Texas and the already identified lack of nurse educators, one solution is increased support for online RN to BSN programs. This not only meets the need for an increase in baccalaureate-prepared nurses caring for the citizens of Texas, but also allows the nurses to have little interruptions in their daily lives when they can further their education through an online RN to BSN program.
Although like many areas in the country that are facing challenges with meeting the healthcare needs for its citizens, Texas appears to be staying ahead of the curve. The state has identified its need and implemented action plans to meet those needs. The need for highly educated nurses in Texas continues to be a challenge; however, the nursing programs in Texas are helping to overcome that challenge, especially through offering online RN to BSN programs.
Learn more about Lamar University’s online RN to BSN program.
Sources:
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecopro.t08.htm
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/chs/cnws/2013-Demographics-and-Trends-Report.pdf
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/chs/cnws/texasteam/texasstrategy.pdf
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/publications/position/bacc-degree-prep
