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 [+]

The recession has created a tough environment for Americans and the businesses, institutions and non-profits that make our world go round. The healthcare industry is no exception, yet nursing case management jobs help hospitals financially, as well as promote patient advocacy and customer satisfaction that lead to saving billions of dollars, in what might have been missed billing charges or unnecessary treatments. 'Anything’ and ‘everything’ are meaningful words for Case Mangers in travel nurse jobs; though, they are expected to wear many hats, most CMs welcome the challenge of residing at the nerve center of today’s health care delivery system. Nursing Case Management jobs exist not just in hospitals, but in rehabilitation centers, home health agencies, or any medical facility in which the managerial talents and strong personal ethics of RNs and/or social workers are required. RNs in case management jobs  are frequently assistants in placing patients in extended care, hospice and other specific treatment programs. Travel nurse jobs that attract talented case mangers expect these professionals to rise to the occasion—of thoroughly reviewing all medical documentation and testing, lucky enough to cross their path. When the i’s are all dotted and the t’s crossed, [+]

Read about technical vs. professional nurse training and why it matters Its been said there’s more than one way to skin a cat. The same might be true of seeking licensure as a registered nurse; those on track to a permanent or travel nursing career can achieve success in several different ways—the interesting part of that statement being, no matter your chosen path to licensure, the examination at the end of your nurse training is exactly the same. The options for students interested in nursing jobs break down into these avenues: you can get a four-year nursing degree, or bachelor of science (in nursing) and be deemed a “professional nurse�; you can get an associate's degree, which takes two to three years—or you can go to a diploma school for about three years. It so happens that community colleges produce more than half of the country's new nurses; not surprising considering it’s the fastest and least expensive way to become an RN; should you go this route, you are deemed a “technical nurse� and may not get the same preferential treatment in hiring as professional and graduate nurses. The encouraging news for those new to [+]