The prestigious nursing career exploded like dynamite

Baby Boomers are turning sixty this year. Of the 3.4 million babies born between 1946 and 1964, 2.8 are still very much alive and projected to live another twenty years – at least. Baby Boomers currently make up over 26% of the total United States population, and their aging is already making significant impacts throughout the country, but most profoundly in the impact on the nursing profession.

With the aging of the Baby Boomer generation, it’s clear that the need for health-care services will soon grow exponentially. Already around the metro Detroit area, new medical facilities and assisted living residences are springing up in record numbers, and it seems as though there’s a new pharmacy under construction on every corner. But along with the inevitable need for more health-care services will come an increased demand for qualified health-care professionals. In particular, there will be an urgent need for nurses. The latest projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that employment for registered nurses will grow faster than any other profession through 2012. There already are 100,000 vacant nursing positions nationwide, and the bureau estimates that 1 million new and replacement nurses will be needed in the next seven years. So it’s clear that the opportunities for a rewarding and satisfying career in nursing have never been better.

Here’s a look at how four St. John Health nurse executives see the opportunities available to and challenges faced by today’s nurses and those who wish to enter the nursing profession. The executives are:1. Kathleen Gaffney, RN, vice president of operations, St. John Oakland Hospital, Madison Heights;
2. Susan Mooney-Smith, RN, administrative director of patient care services, St. John North Shores Hospital, Harrison Township;
3. Gayle Novack, RN, administrative director, nursing administration, St. John Hospital and Medical Center, Detroit;
4. Kathleen Ryan, RN, vice president of operations, acute services, and chief nursing officer, Providence Hospital, Southfield.

Social Security and Medicare concerns aside, these Baby Boomers are going to need a great deal of medical support. Already, almost 40% of the Baby Boomer population is obese. This condition leads to many medical problems, such as diabetes, as well as advanced aging. With the rise in health concerns for such a large percentage of the population, the demand for health professionals will dramatically increase, and the demand for nurses prepared to provide primary care for this growing aging population is already beginning to explode. In fact, the industry is already showing signs of this increased demand.

Nursing and medical assistants are among the largest fields of growth in the medical field to support the huge Baby Boomer population. Well-educated nursing professionals are sought after and are all but guaranteed strong career opportunities. Nursing programs vary in complexity and requirements, and span from one to six year plans. The nursing field is broad and almost all segments are in increasingly more need of qualified applicants.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
Licensed Practical Nurses, or Licenses Vocational Nurses (LVN) complete a single year of training in a state accredited program then sit for the certification exam. LPN certifications are the most readily obtained of the nursing field. Working as an LPN, responsibilities are somewhat limited and practicing LPNs work under the direction and guidance of a registered nurse. Many LPNs obtain the certification and begin immediately working toward a RN or BSN degree in programs specifically designed to do so. [Online LPN to RN Degree Program Information]

Registered Nurse (RN)
Registered Nurses are considerably more qualified than LPNs due to the required educational background. To become a registered nurse, candidates must complete an Associates degree, which generally requires two or three years of coursework. Registered nurses work in many capacities, including some management. Many registered nurses decide to pursue further education and RN to BSN programs support such a transition.

Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN)
Nurses with a Bachelors degree in nursing are in the greatest demand. A BSN degree is considered the entry level of professional nursing practice and is mandatory for new nursing hires in some states and agencies. BSN nurses have the broadest spectrum of nursing career opportunities and options, and often a BSN is the threshold for more prestigious nursing administration or management positions as well. Although some nurses pursue a BSN initially, most prefer to become either a RN or LPN and take advantage of employer tuition reimbursement plans to purse the desired BSN programs.

Online degrees in nursing are the least complicated and most cost effective means for working nurses to obtain their BSN degree. In addition to the ability to make use of employer paid educational benefits online RN to BSN programs allow nurses to start their degree program without delay or worrying about waiting lists, provide the convenience of being able to do course work from work, home, or wherever they have internet access, any time, day, night, or weekends – whenever it works best for their work schedule and family needs. Obviously the ability to earn a BSN degree without needing to stop work, give up a steady paycheck, or schedule their life around traditional campus based class schedules are prime reasons behind the thousands of working nurses busy pursuing their nursing degree online every day.

Advanced Practice Nursing Programs
Even more nursing career opportunities exist for nurses who obtain an M.S. in Nursing Science (MSN degree). The traditional path to obtain a Master’s degree in Nursing requires an additional two years of study after after a nurse has obtained a BSN degree. Working nurses who desire to obtain a Masters in Nursing degree have the option of attending traditional campus based programs, participating in a hybrid program that offers a blended mixture of online and campus classes such as those offered by the University of Phoenix in their FlexNet Program, or attending an accredited school of nursing that offers a 100% online M.S. in Nursing degree program such as those offered by Walden University and several others.