New Year, New Nursing Trends for 2023
Healthcare has undergone some significant changes since 2020. Skilled nurses are at the core of healthcare and the changes we’re experiencing. Nurses have always been the heart of the profession, but during COVID, they stepped up to increase their workloads and tasks as they worked tirelessly on the front lines. Now, two years later, how have things changed for nurses? What will 2023 bring?
Five Nursing Trends for 2023
Trend 1: Job Growth and Nursing Shortage
Job growth goes hand in hand with the nursing shortage. The need for nurses isn’t declining, nor is the need for nurse practitioners. In fact, NPs are experiencing a growth rate of 40%, which is much higher, even than the need for nurses. Factors affecting the need for nurses include the high burnout rate prevalent in the profession. The surveys show 34% of nurses report they plan on leaving their jobs next year. More skilled workers are trying to enter the profession, but during the 2021-2022 school year, nearly 92,0000 qualified applicants were turned away because there weren’t enough professors to keep up with the demand.
Trend 2: Per Diem and Travel Nursing
Healthcare is increasingly looking to per diems to fill staffing gaps on the nursing floor. Because the profession is irrevocably linked to patient outcomes, hospitals have skin in the game to increase temporary workers to help alleviate some of the burnout their full-time nursing staff feels. Traveling nurses fill holes when nurses go on vacation or take time off. They can also fill in as a facility experiences turnover.
Trend 3: Mental Health
There’s been much written about burnout in the healthcare profession. The growing nursing shortage comes on the heels of COVID, so the pressure continues to ramp up these professionals. The NurseJournal recently wrote about why nurses need more mental health days in the current stressful environments they face. Nurses have stretched to the breaking point, which is why healthcare organizations are talking more openly about the need for mental health support for our nation’s nursing professionals.
Trend 4: Telemedicine
During COVID, the federal government suspended some reimbursement roadblocks for telemedicine services that allowed providers to be paid at the same rate as for an on-site visit. Given that telemedicine is more convenient for patients and less costly to provide over a traditional visit it shouldn’t be surprising to learn that virtual healthcare is growing in popularity. This will open a new field of telehealth nursing, which involves triage and treatment in a virtual setting. A subset of telehealth is remote patient monitoring, where sensors monitor patient vital signs for the chronically ill. A growing number of nurses are using these tools to better serve patients and improve their health.
Are You Following These Nursing Trends this Year?
The Custom Group of Companies works with nurses to place them in new positions that better use their skills. If you are considering a change in the New Year, please get in touch with our team. We’d be happy to help.
