With an increasingly aging population, both in the general United States and in the nursing profession, it is projected that the need for nurses in hospitals will rise dramatically in the next ten years, as the number of nurses in the field drops.
With a ballooning aging population, more nurses report decreased job satisfaction than in years past. As an epidemic of disgruntled nurses takes form, mid-career transitions appear on the nursing industry forecast, leaving hospitals with even fewer potential nurses to fill the gaps.
Anticipating this worker shortage, employers should start brainstorming ways that technology can transform the nursing industry. With high-tech solutions tucked into employees’ scrub pockets, employers can increase job applicants, address job dissatisfaction, and decrease nurse turnover.
Online Marketplaces for Aspiring Travel Nurses
The job-hunting process can deter many healthcare hopefuls. With questions like “Where should I look for work?” monopolizing precious mental space, many aspiring healthcare professionals reach their breaking points, withdrawing from the race altogether.
Fortunately, with the help of first-of-their-kind online marketplaces like Fusion Marketplace, nurses can easily browse for jobs by location. Additionally, online marketplaces empower hopeful healthcare professionals to customize their medical traveling career in a few simple steps. If you’d like to opt-out of the rat race for nursing opportunities, simply press “apply now” with a click of a mouse.
Online Nursing Programs
For career transitioners, earning a degree can involve quite a commitment. Those changing careers in the middle of their lives often have familial and financial responsibilities that don’t allow them to attend a traditional university. As online nursing programs become more reputable, the accessibility of nursing as a career path for career transitioners could lead to an influx of new candidates for these jobs.
Nurse Scheduling and Allocation
In general, nursing staff deficiencies will exist regionally rather than unilaterally. However, by using technology that builds digital bridges between hospitals on a national level, employers in need of nurses can address debilitating shortages. For example, a hospital can announce a hiring need at a national level, allowing hospitals with an excess of applicants to send qualified nurses their way.
Career Path Promotion
Despite the recently increased visibility of the nursing profession, there is still a widespread misconception that females are better suited to nursing than their male counterparts. Fortunately, social media and other unconventional marketing strategies are already changing the way people think about the nursing profession. Advertising nursing as appealing to all genders through paid influencers, for example, may fuel a rise in nursing applicants.
Improved Scheduling Technology
Nurses working in post-acute care facilities often report having very little control over their schedules. In addition to having to work their set scheduled hours, nurses often feel obligated to cover following shifts when staffing is light or when other nurses call off.
Today, nurses can specify their perfect schedule by utilizing scheduling technology (potentially in the form of a business-specific app). Scheduling technology also allows employees to swap shifts if they need time off.
In the long run, more scheduling flexibility means higher employee morale, which means less turnover.
Blockchain Credentialing
Gathering one’s credentials for applying to work is a hassle, especially in the nursing profession, where gathering licensures, references, and other documents can be time-consuming. Blockchain credentialing will allow nurses to keep all their records together in a safe, secure online locale that they can share easily with their employer.
Artificial Intelligence at Work
Burnout and questionable work-life balance are two reasons nurses opt for a mid-career switch. In Japan, we are already seeing an increase in the number of AI robots to help take some of the burdens of work off of nurses’ shoulders. As AI technology improves, the demands placed on each nurse will decrease, allowing for improved industry retention.
Conclusion
The nursing industry will face an unprecedented strain in the coming decade, but the ever-improving nature of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and workplace technologies leaves employers with options. Using tech to lighten nurse workload and increase accessibility will be key in achieving higher retention rates and generating future interest in the profession.
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