The Future of Nursing: What the Next Decade Holds for the Profession
You don't need to know a lot about healthcare to know that the field of nursing is extremely dynamic. With new trends and innovations emerging seemingly overnight, nursing professionals are tasked with staying on top of the latest news and advancements to best serve their patients.
Whether you're thinking about getting into nursing or want to advance your nursing career to the next level, knowing what to expect when it comes to future nursing trends and innovations may help you prepare for inevitable changes in the nursing profession.
Shifts in Patient Care Models
In recent years, the nursing field has seen some shifts in patient care models, or guidelines for how healthcare services are delivered. The field has seen an increased focus on preventive and community-based care, as well as an expansion of telehealth, virtual care, and personalized medicine.
Increased Focus on Preventive and Community-Based Care
More than ever, nursing models have begun to shift toward preventive and community-based care that centers around education, vaccinations, screenings, and other strategies to help patients stay healthy and detect problems early on. The benefits of preventive and community-based care are increased accessibility to healthcare, as well as reduced instances of disease.
Expansion of Telehealth and Virtual Care
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare providers made the switch to telehealth and virtual care whenever possible as a means of reducing virus transmission.
Even after the majority of COVID-related shutdowns ceased throughout 2021, many healthcare providers continued to offer and even expand upon their telehealth and virtual care services to include remote patient monitoring and more. Today, many patients rely on nursing and telehealth services for everything from routine preventive care to the diagnosis and treatment of common ailments.
Personalized and Precision Medicine
From a patient care standard, the nursing field has also been shifting toward a more personalized and precise approach to medicine in recent years. Nursing professionals and physicians are increasingly teaming up to use patients' unique genetic profiles to guide decision-making, treatment, and general care based on patients' specific needs.
Advancements in Nursing Roles and Specializations
In addition to recent shifts in patient care models, the nursing profession has also seen a significant expansion in nursing roles and specializations over the past several years.
Growth of Advanced Practice Nursing Roles
The entire country has been affected by primary care physician shortages, which have led many states to begin granting more autonomy to advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). Today, many APRNs can serve the same functions as primary care physicians in some states, with the ability to make diagnoses, prescribe medications, and even perform certain medical procedures.
Emerging Specializations in Nursing
As the field continues to evolve, new opportunities for specialization have also begun to emerge for nurses. Some examples of specializations that have been increasing in demand in recent years include:
- Travel nurses
- Nurse educators
- Nurse midwives
- Nurse anesthetists
- Infection control/prevention nurses
Leadership and Administrative Opportunities
Nurses are also beginning to have more opportunities to land in leadership, managerial, and administrative roles that allow them to put their own leadership skills to the test. From nurse manager and nurse administrator to chief nursing officer (CNO), healthcare facilities across the country are looking for knowledgeable and experienced professionals to fill nursing leadership roles and take patient care to the next level.
Impact of Technology on Nursing Practice
The introduction of new technologies in the healthcare field is also having a major impact on nursing practice as a whole. From AI and machine learning in healthcare to the application of robotics and electronic health records management, today's nursing professionals have a lot to keep up with.
Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning
You'd be hard-pressed to find a field that hasn't been affected in some way by AI and machine learning in the last few years, and nursing is no exception. Today, artificial intelligence in nursing can be used to provide clinical decision support and even care plans to healthcare teams. Meanwhile, predictive analytics can be used to pinpoint future healthcare risks and other issues. All of this can free up valuable time for nurses to focus on their patients without sacrificing the quality of care in the process.
Adoption of Robotics in Healthcare
Meanwhile, advancements in robotics technology are also being applied to healthcare and, by extension, the nursing field. Robotics in nursing can be used to handle manual, repetitive tasks, such as retrieving medical supplies and even administering medication. In some cases, robotics can also be used for training purposes, providing nurses with realistic training scenarios that can help them build their skills.
Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Data Management
Today, electronic health records management has become more important in the healthcare field than ever before, especially when you consider the potential security threats that come along with poor management of these systems. Nursing professionals need to understand how to use these systems properly to keep medical records updated and secure at all times.
Evolving Educational Requirements for Nurses
As the field has evolved, so have nursing education requirements for professionals working in this dynamic field.
Emphasis on Lifelong Learning and Continuous Education
These days, it's simply not enough to obtain a nursing degree and certification or licensure. Sure, that might get you into the field initially, but to remain relevant and keep certifications/licenses current, nurses need to commit to a lifetime of learning and continuing education. For example, many nursing certifications require that nurses complete a minimum number of continuing education credit hours to renew their certifications every few years.
Increasing Demand for Higher Degrees
Meanwhile, as the field of nursing becomes more complex with different nursing innovations and technological advancements, the demand for nursing professionals with higher degrees also increases. While it may remain true that you can get into the nursing field with an associate degree in nursing, more employers are looking for professionals who have at least completed their bachelor's degrees in nursing (BSN) and have earned their registered nurse (RN) license.
In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the demand for registered nurses is projected to grow 6 percent between 2023 and 2033, which is faster than the national average for all occupations.
Incorporating Technology Training Into Nursing Curricula
As technology becomes a larger part of the average nurse's job, more nursing programs across the country are beginning to incorporate these technologies and innovations into their own coursework and training. This is especially true when it comes to telehealth in nursing, remote patient monitoring technologies, and artificial intelligence. With the proper education and training, nurses can graduate with the foundational skills they need to use these technologies in the field.
Addressing Workforce Challenges and Opportunities
As the scope of nursing continues to evolve and change, the healthcare field has been faced with some inherent workforce obstacles and opportunities.
Nursing Shortages and Recruitment Strategies
According to a 2022 Health Workforce Analysis report, the United States is projected to reach a shortage of nearly 80,000 full-time RNs by 2025. In an effort to combat this shortage, many healthcare facilities have gotten creative with their recruitment strategies for nurses, focusing on:
- Offering more competitive benefits.
- Creating more positive work environments.
- Offering professional development and career advancement opportunities for nurses.
- Offering flexible scheduling and other perks for nurses.
Diversity and Inclusion in Nursing
There has also been a renewed focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the nursing field in recent years. In fact, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has recently released a position statement that reaffirms the need to:
- Improve education quality for individuals of diverse backgrounds.
- Address inequities in healthcare.
- Enhance the "civic readiness and engagement potential" of nurses who may become future healthcare leaders.
Addressing Nurse Burnout and Well-Being
Nursing can be an emotionally and physically draining job, which is why more employers are taking measures to help nurses improve their well-being and prevent burnout by:
- Offering more flexible schedules and time off.
- Providing nurses with support networks to manage stress.
- Implementing workplace wellness programs.
The Role of Nurses in Shaping Healthcare Policy
Today, nurses also have the power to advocate not just for their patients, but for themselves through policy changes and other healthcare innovations.
Advocating for Policy Changes
Nurses can become advocates for themselves, their fellow nurses, and their patients by taking proactive steps toward policy change. Many nurses, for instance, will testify before committees, contact government officials, and even participate in public forums in an effort to enact change from the ground up.
Nurses as Leaders in Healthcare Innovation
Meanwhile, nurses can become leaders themselves, driving innovation within the field by drawing upon their own experience and the experiences of other nursing professionals.
Discover More in a Nursing Degree Program
Nursing is far from a static field, and the professionals with the best nursing career outlook tend to be those committed to lifelong learning in nursing. With a dedication to staying on top of industry trends and pursuing nursing career development, you can remain relevant while providing your patients with the highest standard of care.
Interested in learning more about any of these nursing trends or exploring your options in higher education for nurses? Indiana Wesleyan University's School of Nursing and Health Professions offers a wide range of nursing programs to suit your needs. Find your program today or get in touch to learn more. You can also get started with your online application for admission here.
Sources
https://www.indwes.edu/academics/cas/school-of-nursing-and-health-sciences/
https://health.gov/news/202401/prevention-still-best-medicine
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9035352/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10733565
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10682918/
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/fact-sheets/nursing-shortage
