Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, the healthcare industry has witnessed several dramatic changes. Over the years, nurses and doctors have spent more time and effort than ever to maintain and safeguard people’s health and happiness. These sudden changes led to urgency in addressing all problems and issues associated with the healthcare industry. As a result, an improved and advanced healthcare system was better prepared to handle and manage unforeseen circumstances and global medical emergencies.
With significant issues resolved, many healthcare professionals wonder what changes the new year will bring?
Experts believe that now that the pandemic threat has subsided a little, the future looks bright for all nurses and doctors. 2022 will reward these healthcare professionals for their undying efforts during tough times. The new year’s more complex medical needs will be tackled with advanced healthcare procedures and processes. From traveling to innovation – nurses can expect a variety of positive healthcare trends shaping up the new year. Here are twelve nursing trends you can expect to see in 2022:
1. A Significant increase in Online Nursing Programs
Online education became prevalent due to the pandemic, but the concept stuck around because of its several benefits like flexibility, affordability, accessibility, diversity, etc. These benefits encouraged the nursing sector to offer virtual learning opportunities to advance careers and create promising opportunities. As a result, more and more nurses are enrolling in online accelerated BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) degree programs to complete their advanced education in lesser time with equal quality. As a result, nurses with BSNs enjoy better job prospects, higher salaries, and rewarding learning outcomes in their professional careers.
2. Nursing Jobs Will Generate Massive Incomes
According to the Wall Street Journal, the average annual U.S. nursing salary rose by 4% in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the figures continue to rise as the nursing industry is experiencing a significant shortage of capable nurses in 2022. As per these favorable statistics, it’s safe to say that new nurses dedicated to professional development will enjoy growing salaries in their tenure.
3. One-Third Of The Nursing Population Will Retire
A considerable percentage of nurses are reaching retirement age in 2022, which further explains why the U.S. sees a significant shortage in the number of nurses available in the healthcare industry. In addition, stress and burnout during the Covid-19 pandemic have led several nurses to take a break from their jobs.
4. A Significant Increase in Career Opportunities
According to a report by the American Nurses Association, the nursing profession will top the list of readily available jobs in the U.S. Approximately 200,000 nurse job openings will surface over the next decade, creating amazing employment opportunities for newly registered nurses.
5. Nursing Informatics Will Become A Favorable Specialization
Nursing informatics is a specialization that prepares individuals to take on technical roles dealing with data and technology to monitor and operate systems associated with patient care. Students pursuing the field of nursing are increasingly interested in specializing in the ever-growing field of nursing informatics.
6. Demand For Traveling And Bilingual Nurses Will Increase
Organizations are looking to hire nurses willing to travel and speak more than one language to meet the rising diverse demand for healthcare. These nurses are being offered attractive salaries and incentive packages by healthcare facilities and are being provided with career advancement opportunities faster.
7. Nursing Models Will Become More Flexible
The healthcare system of 2022 is more flexible and advanced to tackle unanticipated future challenges. Healthcare organizations are focused on improving the mode of delivery and skills of nurses to hasten the shift from traditional models to more agile models that offer better care for patients. Nurses in 2022 are also being trained for an ideal crisis management system to address hardships caused by future public health events.
8. Nursing Schools Will Depend On Virtual Simulation And Technology
Technological advances have significantly improved the format of nursing education in schools. For example, colleges and universities are now using virtual simulation programs featuring guided questions and interactive scenarios to prepare nurses for practical situations by exposing trainees to diverse patient populations and practice settings. As a result, nursing degree programs of 2022 are better prepared to train nursing students for future challenges.
9. Nursing Entrepreneurship And Innovation Will See A Significant Increase
The year 2022 brings massive entrepreneurship and innovation opportunities to the nursing profession. In the new year, nurses offer specialized healthcare services like care management, billing dispute resolutions, healthcare system navigation, interaction with relevant physicians, and other services to consumers. Variety in the nursing profession is improving the work-life balance of healthcare professionals and funding economic growth.
10. Nursing Facilities Will Be More Accessible To All
The future of nursing is charting a path to health equity, meaning effective, efficient, and equitable healthcare services will be accessible to all. The year 2022 will enable all individuals to interact with advanced healthcare services regardless of their social and economic status. That’s because nurses of tomorrow are being trained to address social determinants of health equity to assist all.
11. Interprofessional Partnerships In Nursing Will Increase To Meet Consumer Demand
Experts believe that 2022 will feature increasing interprofessional partnerships in the healthcare industry. Nurses will work collaboratively with physicians, pharmacists, and other members of the healthcare system to satisfy the rising consumer demand. These interactions will significantly widen the role nurses play in the healthcare community.
Conclusion
Evolution in the healthcare industry never stops; every day, new processes and policies pave the way to rapid, significant changes. Earlier, technology was the only driving force of this progression, but now consumer demand and new medical challenges push the healthcare industry to massive shifts. With the chaos of the pandemic coming to order, the healthcare industry will witness an enormous boom in 2022. Experts are looking forward to a brighter future featuring the positive nursing trends mentioned above. If you want to make it big in the nursing profession, now’s your chance. Enroll in a prestigious nursing degree to gain immense practical and theoretical knowledge and dive headfirst into the rewarding healthcare industry. Good luck!