Registered nurses make up the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, which is why shortage predictions from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)* point to a potential crisis. The BLS is projecting a huge deficit in qualified R.N.s to fill nursing jobs between now and 2025. The reasons for this are attributed, not just to the surge in Baby Boomers seeking medical care, but in the imminent retirement of the nurses treating them.

Over the next 20 years, the average age of the R.N. will increase and the size of the nursing workforce plateau, as many nurses retire. The hope for filling these vacant positions is that nurses coming into them have strong clinical backgrounds, in graduate and baccalaureate programs in accredited nursing schools. As it stands now, many American colleges are struggling to expand enrollment in nursing programs, and are getting help in collaborative efforts made by company partnerships, grants, and legislative initiatives focused on hiring more qualified nursing staff—enough to meet the needs of the current population. 30 million plus Americans have been added to insurance roles as healthcare reform takes effect. BLS’ Employment Projections (2010-2020) released in February [+]

As more nurses and physical therapists achieve a doctorate, median salaries climb to $90,000 a year In a recent New York Times article entitled: “When the Nurse Wants to Be Called ‘Doctor’ " author Gardiner Harris emphasizes the modern day struggle that exists over the growing number of registered nurses achieving a doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) degree and introducing themselves in a clinical setting as 'Doctor.' In the article, Dr. Roland Goertz, Chairman of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said nurses who do this can confuse patients. It’s a misuse of the term, he said. President of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Dr. Kathleen Potempa, doesn’t see it that way. She told Harris the nursing doctorate is about staying current and advancing in the practice, not competing with MDs. “Professionals who achieve that academic level of education are entitled to be called doctor,� said Deborah Bacurin RN, Clinical Coordinator for American Traveler, a leading healthcare staffing firm. “With advancements in healthcare education and a system growing in complexity, we will see this issue either dissolve or be resolved.  Nurses are all about delivering safe and effective patient care.� Richard Hader, PhD and Chief Nursing Officer [+]