Over the last few years, there have been numerous articles highlighting the shortage of healthcare professionals. The COVID-19 pandemic put an enormous strain on the country’s healthcare system. This has resulted in a huge demand for healthcare workers, especially in remote and rural locations. The burnout faced by healthcare workers has also resulted in many professionals taking extended breaks or moving to a new profession.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), healthcare is currently the fastest-growing industry. It is expected to add even more jobs in the coming decade. An aging population means that more people need urgent care now while more retirement-aged medical professionals continue to retire. This has resulted in healthcare organizations being understaffed. Here are some of the top reasons why there is an ever-increasing demand for healthcare workers.
Changing career paths
The pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of many physicians. Reduced insurance reimbursements and increasing regulations have led many professionals to reduce their work hours. This has increased the need for more physicians in the future. Many nurses of retirement age have retired from the profession, while others choose to change their career paths. This continues to increase the need for new nurses to join the healthcare industry.
The impact of technology
Technology and healthcare are intrinsically linked. New technology continues to enter the market to solve an existing problem, and the professionals in the industry have no choice but to adapt to new technology. Healthcare is a constantly evolving industry and technological advances are a given. In the coming years, more healthcare workers will be needed to develop, test, implement and measure technological solutions.
An aging population
People today are living longer than ever before. They also have higher healthcare expectations than past generations. As our life expectancy continues to increase, this trend continues. As a higher portion of the population reaches retirement age, the need for healthcare will increase. Our aging population needs robust healthcare to keep them healthy. The current retirement-aged population is also quite savvy when it comes to ensuring that they have access to quality care and technology such as wearable monitors, telemedicine and digital recordkeeping. Nurse practitioners and other healthcare professionals are needed to keep up with this demand. Enrolling in an MSN-FNP online degree from the University of Indianapolis is a great option. This degree will give you the knowledge and skills you need to practice autonomously and provide care to the aging population.
As the need for nurses, physicians and other healthcare workers continues to increase, there is also a growing requirement for professionals to manage these healthcare workers. Like nurses, there is also an increased need for professionals in other sectors of healthcare, such as human resources, data analysis, IT and administration. There is no doubt that careers in the healthcare industry will continue to be in demand in the coming few years and even beyond for all the reasons discussed above.
