Despite the seemingly perennial nursing shortage that affects the U.S., the future of the industry looks bright. By 2018, nearly 600,000 new jobs will be created for registered nurses, making it the profession poised for the most growth overall, the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently announced. Keeping with the healthcare trend, home health aide jobs are expected to grow by roughly 470,000 positions over the same time span, making it the second fastest growing profession.
Roger Moncarz, who works for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, points out that because the average median wage for a registered nurse is $62,400--about $30,000 higher than the median pay for all other occupations--that makes it an even more attractive proposition. Moncarz also looks at the fact that entry-level RNs only require three years of post-secondary education as another plus, NPR reports.
Furthermore, Cindy Glover, who works as the chief nursing officer at Reston (Va.) Hospital Center, says that while the job is most definitely hard work, the perks can be worth it.
"You can work any hours you want...particularly if you're a bedside nurse," she told NPR. "And that's not bad, having four days a week off."
To learn more:
- read this NPR article
- check out this chart on job growth
- here's the report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics