News :Nurses Voted Most Trusted Professionals in U.S.
Posted on Thursday, June 04, 2009
Since Florence Nightingale raised her solitary lamp in the dark night of a humid Turkish hospital to soothe the fevered brows of battered soldiers, nurses have changed the face of health care, embodying the care, compassion, competence and service that have for generations defined the public view of nursing. As the U.S. celebrated Nurses Week May 6-12, it is gratifying to find that the American public continues to hold nurses in the highest regard.
For the seventh consecutive year, Americans have voted nurses the most trusted professionals in an annual Gallup poll that gauges national perceptions of professional honesty and integrity. 84 percent of Americans gave nurses their highest approval rating for honesty and ethical standards. Pharmacists came in second with a 70 percent approval rating. High school teachers and doctors ranked third and fourth, respectively, at 65 and 64 percent. Clergy and policemen earned 55 percent approval ratings, and lobbyists and telemarketers barely registered at less than five percent.
“It’s a proud day for nurses and for nursing,” said Rebecca Patton, president of the American Nurses Association, in an ANA press release reported on the Washington Center for Nursing web site. “The fundamental principles of nursing are compassion and respect for the individual patient. They are what inspire each nurse to strive to promote health, prevent illness and alleviate suffering. It’s gratifying to see those principles recognized by the public we serve.”
At 2.5 million strong, registered nurses comprise health care’s single largest workforce, according to figures posted on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site. Bureau of Labor predictions project excellent job growth opportunities and dependable job security for RNs over the next five years. “Registered nurses are projected to generate about 587,000 new jobs over the 2006-16 period, one of the largest numbers among all occupations,” according to the Web site. With an anticipated 23 percent growth rate, nursing is one of the fastest growing occupations in America. While 59 percent of nursing jobs are currently located in hospitals, new opportunities in home and community health care are expected to lead future growth. “Growth will be driven by technological advances in patient care, which permit a greater number of health problems to be treated, and by an increasing emphasis on preventive care. In addition, the number of older people, who are much more likely than younger people to need nursing care, is projected to grow rapidly,” states the labor bureau’s Web site in recognition of aging Baby Boomers, America’s most numerous population segment.
Physician offices and home health care services are predicted to account for the greatest number of new nursing opportunities, both with growth rates of 39 percent, according to the labor bureau. Thirty-four percent growth is foreseen in outpatient care center jobs which are increasingly becoming the preferred setting for routine surgical procedures. Employment services are projected to increase by 27 percent, flexible hours, part-time assignments and job variety being particular draws, especially to maturing nurses and nurses reentering the workforce. With predicted growth rates of just 22 and 20 percent respectively, hospitals and nursing care facilities will lag the industry in new job growth as health care moves away from traditional institutions and into the community and home. However, higher turnover rates for hospital nurses will continue to provide excellent job opportunities, particularly in high-stress departments such as critical care, emergency departments and operating rooms.
With increasing demand for health care driven by the aging Baby Boomer population coupled with a projected shortage of 800,000 nurses in the U.S. by 2020 nursing is predicted to remain a dependable growth career well into the future. With nurses continuing to enjoy the respect and esteem of the American public, there’s no better time to embrace nursing as a career.
The following appeared in an issue of Maxim’s nursing eNewsletter, Nursing Now. To receive news in your e-mail inbox each month, sign up today.