BP Human resource management

It's an amazing set of numbers. The U.S. Department of Labor states that by the end of 2010 - this year - there will be one million new nursing job openings. What makes this number frightening is the American Hospital Association reported 126,000 positions were unfulfilled in 2005. If that isn't enough, the DoL expects the total shortage to top 1 million by 2016. This statistic may be one reason more college-bound students are exploring distance learning course information as they choose their education path.

Nursing is a large field that has different skill levels attached to it. From nursing home care to ER and trauma, nurses are a vital part of a healthcare team. The deficit in the numbers of nurses required may be one reason the government started an online nursing job bank site with a $10 million financial aid package combined with it. Not much more should be needed to convince students this is a vital career option.

Quite frankly, online nursing degrees are one of the fastest growing areas in the online college world as accredited degree materials will evidence. Many different degrees are offered by a growing number of schools to meet those different skill levels, such as RN or LPN. In addition to the government aid offered for those entering this field, several nursing schools and other medical institutions and societies are offering their own financial assistance.

Nurse practitioners are the latest to emerge in the health care field. These highly skilled professionals have undertaken the education needed to allow them almost all of the privileges of an MD and they often work in conjunction with a primary physician to offer lower health care costs to patients. The days of a nurse armed with only a thermometer and her experience are pretty much past. Now a strong background in technology and math are a part of their everyday working lives. Florence Nightingale would be proud of how far nurses have come!

If that isn't enough, the number of patients is growing at a rapid pace thanks to baby boomers now entering retirement age. This includes nurses themselves, and the numbers needed just to replace those who are now getting too old to work is also getting larger. This is part of the explanation for the shortage of nurses currently and that expected in the not so distant future.

Some nurses will choose to advance their careers with a Doctor of Nursing degree that would enable them to work in clinical research and advanced clinical practice and health administration. Others will pursue a Masters of Science in Nursing where they can specialize in a particular field, with a commensurate raise in salary. Those just entering school can start with a two year program and advance to a four year Bachelor of Science. There are also more general nursing diplomas for medical billing and physical therapists and the like. Online schools are meeting all these degree needs and some even offer accelerated nursing programs.

No one denies that being a practicing nurse is not an easy field. The incredible, and growing, shortage means working under a considerable amount of stress. Compounding this is that many of the institutions that need nurses the most are not in the most choice locations, operating with the latest in medical technology or with the most desirable individuals, both patients or fellow professionals. At the same time, the ladder for rapid advancement is readily available to anyone who wants to climb it.