Does it make sense to stay a nurse if there is a predicted glut in 2025?
We already know plenty of people are trying to become nurses.
I see on Allnurses where many do not think these people cannot handle the schoolwork,
but i know for a fact that many of them are actually succeeding.
I would say 90% of the people i know who wanted to become nurses in the last 5 years have succeeded.
I will only be 43 in 2025. I have been a nurse since 2004,and have never really worked outside of nursing(besides being a Cna)
I will also have 21 years in nursing if i stay in 2025.
Of course,i can get a Bsn to stay competitive,but i do wonder if that will be enough.
It might get so competitive that employers might ask for something else or they might have even more stringent requirements(such as 1 year med surg experience) that i do not have.
Specializes in Ambulatory Care, LTC, OB, CCU, Occ Hth.
smartnurse1982, I say get the BSN. You are only accumulating experience, which will be to your advantage in a so called nursing glut. I don't recall seeing what kind of nursing you do, but I see you say you do not have a year's worth of med-surg experience, is that right?
As a previous poster suggested, get certifications, keep up with CE courses, etc. CE courses freshen up old skills and introduce new ones in addition to helping you keep your finger on the pulse of the profession. Join ANA. Those things will help you keep an eye on the future of nursing, so you could at least make an educated guess on where its going.
Personally, I think nursing informatics is going to take a more prominent role in the profession as more of the population gains further access to technology.
Telenursing/telemedicine is going to continue to grow. Software companies are going to need nurses with computer programming/software development to help create better solutions for the healthcare industry. Additionally, new technology and techniques need to be developed to improve the safety and quality of telehealthcare -that covers technology and policy development.
Think about all the health related apps on phones and tablets - that is a field in its infancy. You have Apple trying to centralize healthcare information with its latest iOS update (and not doing a good job I might add).
The field of public health is going to have its own share of issues with an aging population who lack access to care and/or need health education. I feel we're going to be shifting further into the preventive medicine mindset; that's gonna require nurses with special focus on health promotion and education to populations.
Getting further out of this world (literally) consider the coming reality of commercial space travel and plans to return to the moon - possibly even colonizing it. Then there's the grand prize of getting to Mars. We may see that in our lifetimes. Governments are aiming for it as well as private corporations. Nurses can play a vital role in the development and execution of these goals. I've even seen a website for space nursing calling itself the newest nursing specialty - though I'm not sure it's got an official recognition.
My point is there are tons of possibilities if you work hard and are creative, adaptable, and willing to learn new things. Don't let the prospect of being a certain when you attain a degree or certification hinder you from doing it - you're going to be that age anyway. Go for it!
Does it make sense to stay a nurse if there is a predicted glut in 2025?
We already know plenty of people are trying to become nurses.
I see on Allnurses where many do not think these people cannot handle the schoolwork,
but i know for a fact that many of them are actually succeeding.
I would say 90% of the people i know who wanted to become nurses in the last 5 years have succeeded.
I will only be 43 in 2025. I have been a nurse since 2004,and have never really worked outside of nursing(besides being a Cna)
I will also have 21 years in nursing if i stay in 2025.
Of course,i can get a Bsn to stay competitive,but i do wonder if that will be enough.
It might get so competitive that employers might ask for something else or they might have even more stringent requirements(such as 1 year med surg experience) that i do not have.
Specializes in Ambulatory Care, LTC, OB, CCU, Occ Hth.
One more thing - the competitive nurse is the adaptable forward thinking nurse. You've already got a leg up on many because you're carefully considering the future :-)
Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.
In my area, hospitals are hiring associates degree nurses, but they're requiring that the hirees get a BSN within 5 years. I think this is the wave of the future.
In one hospital where I worked, every few years there would be layoffs of entire floors. Then the hospital would reinterview and rehire, and those they re-hired were usually those with very little seniority, because they didn't cost so much. What a budget-cutting plan!
Get that BSN and go to inservices. Stay up-to-date...
We need stricter standards to become a nurse. It is way too easy now with all of the for-profit institutions vomiting out nurses that have unlimited attempts to pass the NCLEX.
A 3.87 GPA (in the required pre-req courses) with a strong science background was barely enough to get me into my ADN program 19 years ago.
All I would have to do now is write a check.
Nurses are like Beanie Babies. Produce too many of them and they quickly become worthless.
. I plan on working on some level as a nurse until I'm 65-70. I already have almost 22 years of experience. Between that and my BSN, why would I not stay a relevant nurse?
.
How many posts do i see on Allnurses where experienced nurses are getting fired and have 20+ years experience?
The more experience=more money per hour and more benefits.
I see it as this:
Companies do NOT care anymore about loyalty.
If you hurt their profits,they will fire you in a heartbeat.
Specializes in Ambulatory Care, LTC, OB, CCU, Occ Hth.
There are nurse consultants, advice line nurses for insurance companies, sales for medical equipment, nurse writers, nurses who do insurance physicals, private duty nursing, maybe?
You like bedside? That's great! In L&D I worked with wonderful nurses who were BSN and MSN. Part of being profitable is being reliable and innovative. Your innovation could cut costs and/or improve customer care, that offsets your cost as an employee. You read these posts from seasoned nurses getting fired on here? That's a skewed sampling for one. For another, we don't get the whole story in those posts. The posters may be leaving out the parts where they are chronically late or difficult to work with or whatever reason.
I don't see experience being punished. I see experienced nurses who demonstrate their loyalty and expertise to the field rewarded with stable employment and respect. These nurses do more than show up to the job though. They are there everyday and go above and beyond where others might just go in and do what's expected - no more, no less. These nurses do projects on cost saving measures that enhance patient care, they do in services and CE. They invest in themselves, so their organizations in turn invest in them.
What is a non-clinical nursing position?
What other jobs can a person with a Bsn get outside of nursing?
Off the top of my head,there are none i can think of.
How many posts do i see on Allnurses where experienced nurses are getting fired and have 20+ years experience?
The more experience=more money per hour and more benefits.
I see it as this:
Companies do NOT care anymore about loyalty.
If you hurt their profits,they will fire you in a heartbeat.
So, I may be fired in 10 years, so what's the use, get out now? I am relevant now and will continue to try to stay educated/marketable for the future and go to work, and that's all I can do.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Retired by 53? My goodness I hope you have a great retirement plan or a rich spouse! I will be working until I'm 80. *sigh*
You are still young. You are only 29 years old. Why would you foresee working until age 80 when you have many years to accrue enough money to retire earlier?
I don't have a spouse or a good retirement plan, but there's no way I want to be working at 80. Nobody on a deathbed has ever begged to work another shift, but they do beg for more time to spend realizing the dreams that never came to fruition in their youth.
It's easier than it seems. Do not keep up with the Jones' because materialism is our worst enemy. Despite what TV commercials lead the average Joe to believe, nobody needs a new car every three years, delivery pizzas, and mini-mansion houses.
Live simply. Save your money. Invest. I drive used vehicles, live in a modest house, and have a six-figure savings account. I want to be traveling or relaxing at age 80, not working.
JimmyDurham9
67 Posts
smartnurse1982, I say get the BSN. You are only accumulating experience, which will be to your advantage in a so called nursing glut. I don't recall seeing what kind of nursing you do, but I see you say you do not have a year's worth of med-surg experience, is that right?
As a previous poster suggested, get certifications, keep up with CE courses, etc. CE courses freshen up old skills and introduce new ones in addition to helping you keep your finger on the pulse of the profession. Join ANA. Those things will help you keep an eye on the future of nursing, so you could at least make an educated guess on where its going.
Personally, I think nursing informatics is going to take a more prominent role in the profession as more of the population gains further access to technology.
Telenursing/telemedicine is going to continue to grow. Software companies are going to need nurses with computer programming/software development to help create better solutions for the healthcare industry. Additionally, new technology and techniques need to be developed to improve the safety and quality of telehealthcare -that covers technology and policy development.
Think about all the health related apps on phones and tablets - that is a field in its infancy. You have Apple trying to centralize healthcare information with its latest iOS update (and not doing a good job I might add).
The field of public health is going to have its own share of issues with an aging population who lack access to care and/or need health education. I feel we're going to be shifting further into the preventive medicine mindset; that's gonna require nurses with special focus on health promotion and education to populations.
Getting further out of this world (literally) consider the coming reality of commercial space travel and plans to return to the moon - possibly even colonizing it. Then there's the grand prize of getting to Mars. We may see that in our lifetimes. Governments are aiming for it as well as private corporations. Nurses can play a vital role in the development and execution of these goals. I've even seen a website for space nursing calling itself the newest nursing specialty - though I'm not sure it's got an official recognition.
My point is there are tons of possibilities if you work hard and are creative, adaptable, and willing to learn new things. Don't let the prospect of being a certain when you attain a degree or certification hinder you from doing it - you're going to be that age anyway. Go for it!