Nursing jobs are going unfilled
Some 128,000 nursing jobs in the United States are open, according to a 2004 report by the the Joint Commission, formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). The report found that more than 90 percent of nursing homes lack a sufficient number of health care workers and hospitals are always looking for quality nursing care.
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Experts blame the shortage of nurses on recent changes to the medical industry. Since the 1990s, the increase in technological improvements have led to a higher learning curve for nurses. There are patient tests to run, more machines to monitor, and more medicines that need to be given. Care is becoming more specialized, requiring a greater number of nurses and professionals with more comprehensive training, which leads broader nursing job descriptions.
Outlook for nursing jobs
Since this trend in the 1990s, the need for nurses has continued to grow, with more nursing jobs open than almost any other position. In fact, nursing is now one of the five the fastest-growing professions in the United States, according to federal Department of Labor. Some states are seeing larger growth than others. For example, California nursing jobs, Chicago nursing jobs and Florida nursing jobs have been growing sharply over the last 5 years.
With so many Baby-Boomers getting older, the need for highly trained and technical nursing has increased almost at an exponential rate. This has opened up many new doors for woman and men who want to join the nursing profession and get a nursing degree.
Nursing job salaries
Each year the median income for nursing professionals is on the rise. More than 25 % of 2004 respondents surveyed earn at least $64,000 per year (a 14 percent increase from 2003) and a larger percentage of women reported earning $75,000 or more in 2004 (11 percent up from 5 percent).
For nurses that were being paid hourly the pay range increased from $18.49 in 2003 to $19.33 in 2004. Many websites will give exact figures for nursing job salaries and information about becoming a full time professional nurse.
Need help finding a nursing job?
Today many valuable resources are available online to help make your job search go smoothly. Make sure you ask questions about hours, wages, and job descriptions before selecting a nursing job. The individual tasks that a registered nurse may need to perform varies widely. Visit our nursing job site resource page for more information.
Other nursing resources
Nursing jobs online – listings of nursing jobs in the US and resources for nursing careers.
National Bureau of Labor Statistics – information on nursing job trends
Nursing recruiter – recruiting services for nursing job
Travel Nursing Information
Find A Nursing Job In Your Area
Nursing Jobs Salary Information
How to Become a Nurse
Nursing Job Descriptions
Nursing Jobs – Nursing podcasts by, about and for nurses, nursing jobs, nursing forums and more, all at www.NurseSpot.com
Medical jobs – A healthcare job search engine with information on salary and open positions.
