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Staffing Shortages Means a World of Possibilities in Health Care

Concorde Staff

Concorde Staff

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Updated December 11, 2015. The information contained in this blog is current and accurate as of this date.
staffing-shortages

You love working in health care - it's all you've ever wanted to do. Being a compassionate, capable and contributing member of your community brings you immeasurable fulfillment. You're an attentive and empathetic listener, and people respond to your therapeutic touch and healing presence. But you need a change.

Lucky for you, as Baby Boomers continue to retire and flood the medical system, more qualified health care professionals are needed. According to U.S. News & World Report, primary care, nursing, behavioral health, public health and long-term care businesses are facing serious staffing shortages.

Hospitals anticipate 4 million more patients per year during the next decade, and the doctor shortage is forecast to be 92,000 by 2020.

The site listed seven medical positions in the top 10 careers in its 100 Best Jobs of 2015 ranking and cites the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) prediction that "the most employment growth by 2022 will be among health care support jobs, such as diagnostic medical sonographers and physical therapist assistants."

A U.S. News Health panel of experts agreed that health care efforts will increasingly prioritize prevention and wellness programs. Other trends they anticipate include:

  • Larger roles for health care workers in clinics and alternative settings, such as schools, retail clinics and workplaces
  • Team-based care models will increase
  • Use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants will increase substantially; over 7,000 PAs enter the workforce each year, according to the American Academy of Physician Assistants
  • Salaries for health care workers will continue to increase with every passing year
  • Health IT workers represent a large area of growth

 

 

IT'S A GREAT TIME TO BE AN RN

 

Nursing ranks sixth in U.S. News Best Health Care Jobs of 2015, and the BLS predicts 19.4 percent employment growth in this field between 2012 and 2022, which equates to 526,800 new jobs. The unemployment rate for registered nurses is just 2 percent.

Nursing schools provide students a comprehensive course of study that includes physiology, anatomy, pharmacology, public health and mental health. During the clinical aspect of the program, nurses often discover a passion for a specific health condition, setting or stage of life.

You might find that you'd like to specialize in critical care newborn babies, or work with cancer patients undergoing treatment or in hospice care. Perhaps cardiology calls to you, or maybe you'd love to be a school nurse and work with children every day.

Think outside the hospital box as you imagine your next health care career move. The whole job landscape is transforming as the changes set in motion by health care reform and the aging Boomer generation ripple out and create unlimited opportunities for medical professionals.

Make the transition from practical nursing to an expanded role in this rewarding field through Concorde's nursing bridge program.

We'll help you develop the necessary leadership skills and create an individualized management style that is professionally fulfilling and personally meaningful.

We have a team of professional advisors ready to advise you on this important career transition when you're ready. Pick up the phone or click the banner below to get started!

Next Steps?

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