At Desert Medical Careers we work daily with nurses to help them find the best placement for their particular set of skills. The nursing profession is an ever-evolving industry, so we also make a point of staying aware of changes in the nursing industry to better educate and connect our candidates and employers. Here’s a snapshot of some of the bigger nursing profession trends in recent years.
Holistic Nursing and Registered Nurse Health Coaches
A growing career in nursing is Wellness Nurse Coaches, also known as Registered Nurse Health Coaches. Nurses, as a whole, are trending more towards treating from a holistic standpoint, rather than just the symptom that brought the patient in for care. Registered Nurse Health Coaches focus on helping their clients reach optimal levels of perceived health by addressing physical, psychological, social, economic, spiritual, academic, professional, and environmental aspects for their patients’ lives.
Read more about Registered Nurse Health Coaches in our April article.
Registered Nurses on the Rise
From 2000 to 2010, the LPN and RN workforce increased, but while LPNs increased in workforce by 15.5%, RNs increased by 24.1% according to a 2013 report from the Department of Health and Human Services. This same report shows that there was a 6% per capita increase in LPNs and a 13.9% per capita increase in the supply of RNs from 2000 to 2010.
If you would like to be placed in a healthcare job within the United States, please fill out the form below or call us at 602-468-6300.
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Nursing as a Second Career
Many people are returning to school to become nurses because nursing is seen as a career that is non-discriminatory in age, allows for almost any work schedule, and provides more stability than the majority of careers. Of the people returning to school, a growing number already have bachelor’s degrees.
Because of this trend, more nursing schools are offering accelerated nursing programs, such as the Bachelor’s-to-BSN program offered at the Kramer School of Nursing at Oklahoma City University.
Patient Education
A higher emphasis is being placed on educating the patient than in the past. This is partly because Medicare is now reimbursing facilities under the Pay for Performance Model; the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program rewards facilities who have low readmission rates. The goal of this model is for fewer patients to be readmitted within 30 days of discharge. Facilities are associating patients who receive better education during their entire stay, from admission through discharge, with lower readmission rates.
Another reason for more patient education is the growing interest patients have in accessing their Electronic Medical Records. Nurses play a key role in helping patients understand what they will see in those records.
- More information about the Pay for Performance Model
- More information about the Readmissions Reduction Program
- Wikipedia: Pay for Performance in Healthcare
Are You Looking for a Nursing Job in Arizona?
Desert Medical Careers has a high demand for registered nurses and nurse practitioners. We are typically able to easily place full-time and part-time nursing positions throughout the Phoenix Metro Area. With over 20 years’ experience placing healthcare employees throughout the Valley, DMC is an expert at matching healthcare workers with their ideal work environment. Contact DMC today at (602) 468-6300.