The job prospects for registered nurses are projected to be favorable. In fact, RNs should see a 22% increase in job openings, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This will add approximately 581,500 more jobs into the market, the BLS reports. This is because the population is on the rise, driving up the need for more healthcare workers to handle the increasing number of patients. In addition, as current nurses begin retiring, those positions will become available. The fast development of medical technology and science also increases the amount of cases that can be treated, leading to more demand for nurses as well.
However, not all sectors of healthcare will experience the same boom in nursing positions. Hospitals will only see a 17% increase in nursing jobs, according to the BLS, while physician offices will experience 48% in growth. This may be because more and more patients will receive care in outpatient centers rather than in hospitals, driving down the demand for more nurses there while driving up the demand for nurses outside of the hospital environment.
