Nursing Trends We Expect to See in 2021 — William Kabutu

1. Nursing Trends We Expect to See in 2021 Nursing Trends We Expect to See in 2021 — William Kabutu William Kabutu — If you’re looking for information about nursing trends in 2021, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a list of top nursing trends we expect to see in 2021 and beyond based on the latest data and insights from American Nurse Today, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and other sources. 1. Online education programs will increase in popularity. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) appointed the Committee on the Future of Nursing to put together

2. recommendations for an action-oriented response to some of the challenges being faced by nurses. One of their key recommendations was to increase the percentage of workers holding a BSN degree from 50 to 80% by 2020. In 2018, New York became the first state to pass a law requiring nurses to earn a BSN within 10 years of becoming licensed. Many other states have plans to adopt similar legislation. In light of these changes, and in the face of the ongoing Covid- 19 pandemic, the motivation for nurses to pursue higher education is stronger than ever. Online nursing degree programs provide a way for nurses to obtain a degree while continuing to work full-time, opening the door to higher education without the need to sacrifice work-related responsibilities or family obligations. We predict the popularity of online MSN-FNP and online Post- Master’s FNP Certificate programs to increase in 2021, especially while COVID-19 limits in-person learning. 2. The shortage of primary care physicians will create an even greater demand for Family Nurse Practitioners. Recent research from the Association of American Medical Colleges found that the United States could face a shortage of up to 55,200 primary care physicians by 2032, due in part to a growing, aging population. Without enough primary care physicians to care for the population, the demand for Family Nurse Practitioners will be high, especially in those states where FNPs have full practice authority. In March 2020, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) reported that the number of Nurse

3. Practitioners reached an all-time high of 290,000. We expect this number to continue to grow. 3. A greater number of states will grant Nurse Practitioners full practice authority. As a further response to the primary care physician shortage, more states should begin to grant Nurse Practitioners the authority to practice independently. Currently, 26 states and U.S. territories grant nurse practitioners full practice authority, while other states require collaborative agreement with a supervising physician or have restrictions on practice. Given the pressing need for primary care providers and the fact that both the National Academy of Medicine and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing recommend that states provide NPs full practice authority, there are increasing pressures on the remaining states to follow suit. 4. We will see unprecedented job growth for nurses in 2021. The numbers are clear: both in the U.S. and globally, there is a shortage of Registered Nurses that is expected to intensify as the Baby Boomer population ages, the need for care providers grows and health care workers continue to combat COVID-19. The nursing shortage has only intensified due to the COVID-19 pandemic as hospitals and other health care environments struggle under unprecedented patient loads. Even pre-COVID, the Bureau of Labor Statistics had projected Registered Nursing to be one of the top occupations for job growth through 2028, expected to grow by 12% (much faster than average), and reported 371,500 new RN jobs will be added by the year 2028. SOURCE