Healthcare is at an exciting crossroads. More Americans have access to healthcare and are living longer than ever before. Patients will have more complicated needs, and the healthcare environment will also become more complex. Now more than ever, there is a need for highly educated nurses.
According to most estimates, more than 20 percent of Americans will be over the age of 65 by 2030, and they are living longer than ever before due to the availability of new treatments for complex health issues that previously had none. This massive influx of patients will create an enormous need for highly educated nurses.
In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released the report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. This ground-breaking report recognized that nurses, numbering over three million, are the frontline workers who have the most impact on patient care in America. The Institute recommends that nurses attain higher levels of education and training to better serve the public. These highly educated nurses will meet the ever-changing needs in healthcare.
Not only are BSNs in demand, but employers’ demand for MSN-prepared nurses is also on the rise. The Affordable Care Act pushed preventive care to the forefront, and considering that advanced practice nurses have already championed preventive care, these highly educated nurses are perfectly poised to meet the demands of new patients who now have access to healthcare.
Many professionals who plan to capitalize on the growing need for highly educated nurses will need to continue their education and will be able to do so through an online RN to MSN program.
Nurses in the 21st century will need to be highly skilled in technology and have extensive knowledge of healthcare policy, leadership and research. Nurses of the future will understand the value of evidence-based practice and be the leaders who help implement new research for better patient outcomes. These highly educated nurses will understand the value of collaboration and coordination across multiple interdisciplinary teams.
The future is very bright for highly educated nurses, especially those entering RN to MSN programs. The healthcare system needs nurse leaders and visionaries more than ever. Those nurses will manage complex problems and see the impact of decisions on patient care and the healthcare environment in general.
Learn more about the UT Arlington online RN to MSN program.
Sources:
http://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/articles/2014/06/16/the-youngest-baby-boomers-turn-50
