The Importance of A BSN

Nursing and Healthcare Trends for 2022

Knowing upcoming healthcare trends can help guide your practice and decisions. Two nursing leaders share the top 10 trends they expect in 2022.

While dramatic changes were happening in healthcare before the pandemic, COVID-19 caused these changes to occur more quickly. These changes have helped address stresses placed on the healthcare system.

We spoke with two seasoned nursing leaders about the trends in healthcare expected in 2022. We discuss those trends and offer insight into how healthcare delivery is evolving.

10 Nursing Trends We Expect to See in the Coming Years

The last of the baby boomer generation will retire in 2030. This means changes in how healthcare is delivered will be necessary to meet more complex medical needs. Nursing leaders expect to see these ten trending patterns in the coming year. They will affect how nursing care is managed and delivered.

1. Job Growth for Nurses Will Continue to Rise

The world is in the middle of a critical nursing shortage. Many factors have contributed to the current situation:

• Increased demand for care during the pandemic
• Retiring nurse educators mean a falling number of nursing faculty
• Nurse burnout from the pandemic
• An aging population with complex medical needs
• Nursing staff reaching retirement
• Greater shortage in rural areas
• Job growth is a function of supply and demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the job growth for registered nurses (RNs) through 2030 to be 9%, as fast as average. They also estimate job growth for advanced practice nurses through 2030 to be 45%.

2. Home Health Will Increase in Popularity

Demand for home healthcare nurses will grow as the population ages. However, COVID-19 prompted an unexpected rise in need for these services. Home health benefits are a lifeline for vulnerable patients who are at increased risk of medical complications. This includes infectious illnesses like COVID-19.

In response, a new bill called the Choose Home Care Act was introduced to the Senate in July 2021 and to the U.S. House of Representatives in October 2021. If passed, it would expand the benefits provided by Medicare for home healthcare services. It would also open the door to more remote monitoring and tele health nursing services for seniors. Seniors could choose to go home rather than a skilled nursing facility after hospitalization.

As home healthcare expands, experts are calling for greater standardization in the industry. They point out that license requirements are not uniform across states, making applications at the federal level next to impossible. Industry leaders are calling for standard on boarding and vetting procedures. It would include background checks, experience, certification, and social security verification.

3. Care Models Will Experience a Necessary Shift

Anne Dabrow Woods, chief nurse at Wolters Kluwer Health, anticipates a necessary shift in how nursing care models are applied due to COVID-19. For instance, the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System carried out a vigorous model of nursing care during the pandemic.

There are two key components to how care is delivered:

• The mode of delivery
• The skills of nurses on the hospital unit
  “Healthcare models must migrate from traditional nurse-to-patient staffing models to a more agile one in times of crisis, that facilitates flexibility and supports the best care for patients,” Dabrow Woods explains.

While staffing must be based on patients’ care level and staff competency, Dabrow Woods proposes an improved model during crisis management: team-based with an increase in floating nurses.

This system would allow hospitals to address hardships caused by future public health events or insufficient staffing, not unlike what we face now with COVID-19. Dabrow Woods stresses the need to be flexible. A care model should always support an organization and a nurse’s ability to deliver excellent patient care.
To continue reading this article visit Nursing Journal – Nursing and Healthcare Trends in 2022

Written by: Gayle Morris, RN, BSN, MSN
Photo Credit: Shared from Nursing Journal / Getty Images

From Bitter to Blessed – Nursing Christmas Story

This Christmas story was written by a nurse we’d call Any Nurse. And just like most nurses, she wasn’t too eager to work on Christmas Day. In fact, she dreaded the shift from the moment her alarm clock woke her up.

But just like most nurses, Any Nurse had to go to the hospital. As soon as she started her shift, IV alarms started beeping, call lights were ringing, and pharmacy techs became busy delivering medications.

While she was busy trying to get an IV in one stick on a patient who badly needed a blood transfusion, a code blue was paged. Her heart jumped and skipped a little imagining that someone’s loved one was coding on such a special day.

Down the hall, she saw Valerie. She’s a 2-year old burn patient, a victim of a kitchen accident. Any Nurse hoped that Valerie wouldn’t have any disfiguring scars. Just imagining Valeria at 13 years old and dealing with those scars made her heart hurt. Any Nurse has a 2-year-old kid.

She went on to help Anita, her nursing assistant. They bathe a 76-year-old patient who was admitted with a stroke. The two of them combed the patient’s thinning hair and applied a red lipstick to her lips. With the patient’s garbled speech, she managed to say “Thank you, dear.”

On her way back to the station, Any Nurse answered a call light from a patient who was cold. She went to the supply room and found several blanket warmers. As she gave one to her patient, she saw her smile as the warmth seeped in.

After her shift, Any Nurse felt really excited to go home, share her day with her husband, and cuddle with her healthy kids.

Story and Image credit shared from Nursebuff.com 

 

ANA Urges US Department of Health and Human Services to Declare Nurse Staffing Shortage a National Crisis

This press release was originally published Sep 1, 2021 by the ANA. For more information visit their website.

SILVER SPRING, MD – The American Nurses Association (ANA), representing the interests of the nation’s 4.2 million nurses, urges the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to declare the current and unsustainable nurse staffing shortage facing our country a national crisis. In a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, ANA calls for the Administration to acknowledge and take concrete action to address the current crisis-level nurse staffing shortage that puts nurses’ ability to care for patients in jeopardy.

“The nation’s health care delivery systems are overwhelmed, and nurses are tired and frustrated as this persistent pandemic rages on with no end in sight. Nurses alone cannot solve this longstanding issue and it is not our burden to carry,” said ANA President Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN. “If we truly value the immeasurable contributions of the nursing workforce, then it is imperative that HHS utilize all available authorities to address this issue.”

ANA calls on the Administration to deploy these policy solutions to address the dire nurse staffing shortage crisis. HHS must:

• Convene stakeholders to identify short- and long-term solutions to staffing challenges to face the demand of the COVID-19 pandemic response, ensure the nation’s health care delivery system is best equipped to provide quality care for patients, and prepared for the future challenges.
• Work with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on methodologies and approaches to promote payment equity for nursing services and remove unnecessary regulatory barriers to APRN practice.
• Educate the nation on the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine to provide resources for widespread administration of the COVID-19 vaccine and any subsequent boosters.
• Sustain a nursing workforce that meets current and future staffing demands to ensure access to care for patients and prioritize the mental health of nurses and other health professionals.
• Provide additional resources including recruitment and retention incentives that will attract students to the nursing profession and retain skilled nurses to the demands of patient care.

“ANA stands ready to work with HHS and other stakeholders on a whole of government approach to ensure we have a strong nursing workforce today and in the future,” said Dr. Grant. “Our nation must have a robust nursing workforce at peak health and wellness to administer COVID-19 vaccines, educate communities, and provide safe patient care for millions of Americans.  We cannot be a healthy nation until we commit to address underlying, chronic nursing workforce challenges that have persisted for decades.”

# # #

The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the premier organization representing the interests of the nation’s 4.3 million registered nurses. ANA advances the profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting a safe and ethical work environment, bolstering the health and wellness of nurses, and advocating on health care issues that affect nurses and the public. ANA is at the forefront of improving the quality of health care for all. For more information, visit www.nursingworld.org.

ANA Urges US Department of Health and Human Services to Declare Nurse Staffing Shortage a National Crisis

This press release was originally published Sep 1, 2021 by the ANA. For more information visit their website.

SILVER SPRING, MD – The American Nurses Association (ANA), representing the interests of the nation’s 4.2 million nurses, urges the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to declare the current and unsustainable nurse staffing shortage facing our country a national crisis. In a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, ANA calls for the Administration to acknowledge and take concrete action to address the current crisis-level nurse staffing shortage that puts nurses’ ability to care for patients in jeopardy.

“The nation’s health care delivery systems are overwhelmed, and nurses are tired and frustrated as this persistent pandemic rages on with no end in sight. Nurses alone cannot solve this longstanding issue and it is not our burden to carry,” said ANA President Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN. “If we truly value the immeasurable contributions of the nursing workforce, then it is imperative that HHS utilize all available authorities to address this issue.”

ANA calls on the Administration to deploy these policy solutions to address the dire nurse staffing shortage crisis. HHS must:

• Convene stakeholders to identify short- and long-term solutions to staffing challenges to face the demand of the COVID-19 pandemic response, ensure the nation’s health care delivery system is best equipped to provide quality care for patients, and prepared for the future challenges.
• Work with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on methodologies and approaches to promote payment equity for nursing services and remove unnecessary regulatory barriers to APRN practice.
• Educate the nation on the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine to provide resources for widespread administration of the COVID-19 vaccine and any subsequent boosters.
• Sustain a nursing workforce that meets current and future staffing demands to ensure access to care for patients and prioritize the mental health of nurses and other health professionals.
• Provide additional resources including recruitment and retention incentives that will attract students to the nursing profession and retain skilled nurses to the demands of patient care.

“ANA stands ready to work with HHS and other stakeholders on a whole of government approach to ensure we have a strong nursing workforce today and in the future,” said Dr. Grant. “Our nation must have a robust nursing workforce at peak health and wellness to administer COVID-19 vaccines, educate communities, and provide safe patient care for millions of Americans.  We cannot be a healthy nation until we commit to address underlying, chronic nursing workforce challenges that have persisted for decades.”

# # #

The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the premier organization representing the interests of the nation’s 4.3 million registered nurses. ANA advances the profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting a safe and ethical work environment, bolstering the health and wellness of nurses, and advocating on health care issues that affect nurses and the public. ANA is at the forefront of improving the quality of health care for all. For more information, visit www.nursingworld.org.