The doctor-patient relationship is a sacred thing we all should preserve. That being said, as overall medical demand keeps growing, it turns out we need more nursing professionals as well as doctors.
Registered Nurses (RNs) are thought to make up the largest share of healthcare workers. Think about who you spend the most time with at the clinic. You’re probably getting more face time with a nurse or PA than a doctor. This is not a diss. Nurses record critical medical history as well as educate patients about treatment or how the clinic operates. Beyond that, RNs can be plugged into just about any medical specialty whether it be a supporting or leading position. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated about that the 3.1M RNs in the US today will grow ~6% from 2021-2031. This is a bit more than the agency’s forecast of 5% growth for all occupations and less than the 9% projected increase for all healthcare practitioners. Subscribe to Friendly Neighborhood Patient for more of these Meds in a Minute breakdowns! I’ll catch you at the next episode.
If nurses are so critical, why are there shortages to begin with?
Nurse and doctor staffing issues have been festering for years. The onset of the Covid pandemic brought even more pressure to the surface. Tune in later this week for part 2 of this series. See you then!
