Since the First World War, the nursing profession has constantly reinvented itself. In today’s modern world, nurses are becoming increasingly vital to deliver excellent care to a larger population. The industry is responding in ways that will continue to make our profession even more challenging and rewarding now and into the future.
Nursing is Becoming More Diverse
In those early days: nursing was a woman’s profession. Into the 1970s, less than three percent of all nurses in America were men. Today: that’s changing, albeit slowly. The number of men in the profession today is closer to 10 percent, and that’s likely to increase as the demand for nursing continues to grow.
Nurses are Primary Care Providers
There’s not just a nursing shortage in America. There’s also an unmet demand for primary care physicians. With more nurse practitioners (NP) entering the field (and that position is also expected to grow in demand, by at least 19 percent according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics), more and more patients can receive ongoing regular checkups and receive crucial medications like antibiotics from NPs. States are also rapidly adopting legislation that allows NPs to practice without physician oversight, giving those who seek that role even more autonomy over their careers.
Nursing Shortage Increasing Earning Potential
There is an increasing demand for nurses which is putting more and more pressure on facilities to hire, train, and retain nursing staffs. That means higher salaries, signing bonuses, and other benefits like relocation costs and reimbursements for advanced training. It’s not remotely an exaggeration to say that this may be the best time in history to become a nurse or enroll in an LVN program.
Traveling Nurses and Multi-State Licenses
For professionals who enjoy a chance of scenery: it’s even easier now to work as a traveling nurse or pick up and move to a different state. Multi-licensure compacts between states allow a nurse licensed in one state to work across state lines without taking another license exam. State compacts cover both RNs and LVNs. If your state isn’t already included in the multi-state compact? No worries; you can easily apply with your current license.
No matter what changes our dynamic industry faces, we stay on top of them. We take the responsibility of training future healthcare professionals seriously, which is why we’ve been named several times as one of the best nursing schools in California. Ready to become an LVN and chance your future? Contact us today.
