The future trends in nursing indicate a movement towards closing gaps in health disparities, increasing the accessibility of healthcare and innovating new ways to treat patients. Trends worth noting include nursing employment growth, technological innovations and the expansion of nursing informatics.
Healthcare is not a stagnant field. Since its inception, healthcare providers have sought to better understand human health to improve quality of life. Future trends in nursing indicate that the field is continuously striving to provide the highest quality of care to all patient populations.
At Madonna University, we are committed to educating the next generation of nurses. Madonna’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program is founded on Franciscan values and combines faith, reason and innovation to promote academic and professional excellence in our students, preparing them to become leaders and innovators in the modern healthcare landscape.
As the field evolves, future trends in nursing will seek to close gaps in health disparity, promote health equity and adapt to the digital age. In this blog post, we will explore some key trends shaping the future of healthcare.
The Future of Nursing: Profession Outlook
The nursing profession’s outlook is strong. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), national nursing employment is projected to grow by 6% from 2023 to 2033, higher than the 4% average across all occupations. Advancing your education and pursuing an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse role, such as a nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist, will also give you excellent career prospects. The BLS projects a 9% growth in APRN jobs over the same period. Madonna offers both an MSN and DNP program if you choose to further your career.
The strong projected growth for registered nurses is partly due to the national nursing shortage. According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), this nursing shortage is due to factors including:
- Rising healthcare demands due to a growing aging population and increase in chronic diseases
- Retirement rates outpacing the number of new nurses entering the field
The ANA notes that the demand for nurses is high, especially in telehealth, home health, long-term care and outpatient centers. A larger workforce is needed to address the growing needs of an aging population.
Nurses also have high earning potential. The median registered nurse salary as of May 2023 is $86,070, with the government as the top-paying industry, followed by state, local and private hospitals. The median salary for APRNs during the same period is $129,480, with outpatient care centers as the top-paying industry.
The Future of Healthcare Technology
Future trends in nursing technology are focused on expanding the accessibility of patient care and improving patient care delivery for all parties. Recent technological advancements in healthcare help increase access to healthcare in communities and regions that lack resources, empower patients in their care and improve the ability of healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat patients.
Telehealth Services
The increase in telehealth services is one example of how recent trends seek to close gaps in health disparity. While the recent surge in telehealth services is due to the COVID-19 pandemic, patients continue to utilize telehealth services. According to the Updated National Survey Trends in Telehealth Utilization and Modality (2021-2022), over 20% of adults used telehealth services in July 2022.
Telehealth services help reach patients with mobility limitations or who live in rural areas with limited access to health resources. Additionally, telehealth helps patients take a more proactive role in their health, as virtual routine check-ins remove many barriers preventing individuals from seeking care.
Wearable Devices
Wearable devices are one of the many technological advancements empowering patients to be more active in their care and health. These devices range from fitness trackers to ECG monitors. Some devices can send real-time data to healthcare providers, enabling patients and their providers to remain up to date and facilitating early intervention when necessary.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) will likely play a key role in the future of healthcare technology. Current trends leverage AI’s machine learning to predict the most successful treatment strategies based on multiple patient variables, helping to support decision-making. As AI continues to evolve and improve in accuracy, it will likely be more widely integrated in healthcare.
Machine learning can potentially develop diagnoses and treatment recommendations based on patient data, such as medical history and symptoms. While AI-based diagnosis and treatment have not yet been implemented in clinical practice, efforts are underway to develop AI systems that can accurately diagnose conditions.
Additionally, AI can be integrated into electronic health record (EHR) systems to enhance the quality of patient care, reduce errors and create a more flexible system that improves patient accessibility and promotes patient-provider collaboration.
Advancements in healthcare technology have helped shape patient care and nursing education. Learn about recent technological advancements in nursing.
Future of Nursing Informatics
Nursing informatics aims to improve patient care and the clinical experience by integrating nursing, computing and information science. The field aims to improve efficiency and the overall quality of patient care by increasing the accessibility of EHR and electronic medical records (EMR) systems.
According to the ANA, nursing informatics allows nurses to improve patient care, outcomes and safety. Improved access to EHR and EMR systems also enables nurses and other healthcare providers to utilize current and accurate data to support research and innovation. The wealth of information also allows nurses to make decisions supported by real-time data and analytics.
As nursing strives to adapt to the digital age, nursing informatics is expected to expand; however, global expansion has been slow due to disparities in informatics leadership and reliable access to the internet and technology in certain regions.
Despite its slow expansion, recent trends suggest that nursing informatics is growing. For example, in response to COVID-19, nursing informaticians heightened efforts to increase informatics involvement in clinical care worldwide. They helped implement and improve digital infrastructure to more effectively support electronic systems and established virtual learning systems to train healthcare professionals and students on how to treat COVID-19.
The future of nursing informatics is promising. It has already been integrated into clinical care in the United States, and nursing students should familiarize themselves with its application to fully understand how patient data informs clinical practice. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has even included it in its most recent “Essentials” list, which outlines essential nursing curriculum content.
Considering a career in nursing? Find out if an ABSN program is right for you.
The Future of Nursing with Madonna University
Nursing in the future will continue to innovate, requiring nurses to commit to lifelong learning. At Madonna University, our hybrid-based ABSN provides students with a solid foundation on which to build their careers, preparing them to become future nursing leaders. If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 60 credits from an accredited institution, you can earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in as few as 16 months.
The program utilizes a blended learning model that combines online learning with experiential learning. While coursework is completed online, simulation labs and clinical experiences are held in person throughout the Metro Detroit area.
ABSN students are fully supported from the moment they start the application process through graduation. Our team of admissions representatives and Academic Success Coaches are dedicated to helping you start your career. Contact an admissions representative today to learn how Madonna’s ABSN program prepares you for the current nursing landscape and future trends.