If you’re a nursing student or an experienced nurse and are likely to be curious about what the most sought-after specializations are today, with the many changes that nurses have gone through over the last few (chaotic) decades. Let’s see.
Introduction: The impact of the pandemic on nursing
Of all fields of work, which include nursing, it is the one that is the most affected by the three seasons of coronavirus. Whether you’re a nurse with Covid-19 or not, any nurse who’s been required to work in an environment of healthcare or a hospital will have to take on the weight of the stress and demands of Covid-19 in the medical profession.
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Before the outbreak, nurses were already dealing with nursing shortages, burnout, low staffing ratios, and low retention. In 2000, the world’s nursing shortage was estimated to be 5.9 million nurses. As if this weren’t enough, the epidemic made matters worse and increased nursing demand while the were being slashed in number of nurses decreased from infection, death as well as increased absence and increasing rates of leave.
A survey related to pandemics of 20665 healthcare professionals at 124 hospitals in 2020 revealed these results:
- Of the 63% of nurses who reported it and 56 percent of nurses reported work overwork.
- Around 2 out of 5 nurses plan to leave their profession altogether due to burnout, workload, and COVID-19-associated stresses.
- A second study, in 2021 by 400 nurses on the frontline found more results:
- 22% of respondents indicated that they might quit their current jobs
- 60% of respondents said it was more probable to quit after the outbreak started due to insufficient staffing, workload, and emotional trauma as the main reasons cited
The most in-demand nursing specialties for 2022
The pandemic is changing the face of healthcare services. We’ll examine the nurse specialties with the most demand this year.
Travel Nurse
Before the outbreak, the concept of travel nursing was viewed as a possibility for nurses looking for variety and surroundings. In an Ask-An-Nurse podcast, two nurses discuss the benefits of traveling nursing for those looking for a job with a lot of intensity at, say, an exotic location like Hawaii.
This perspective changed during the peak that the disease was raging. Due to staff shortages and the increase in hospitalizations and admissions and admissions, travel nurses were hired to fill short-term hospital positions. When the Covid-19, the national wage for travel nurses jumped by up to 25 percent, and they were earning between $5000-10,000 a week.
Due to the increased demand for travel nurses, they were earning double or triple the amount that staff nurses earned with the stabilization of hospitalization rates, as did the number of contracts. Travel nurses will be demanded due to ongoing shortages of staff and the increase in hospital admissions due to new variations.
Operating room nurse
An operating room nurse or OR nurse is a registered nurse employed within the operating room. They take care of patients before, during, and after the surgical procedure. They can also aid in surgical procedures such as C-sections, tonsillectomies, or breast biopsies.
As per the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses or AORN, an AORN survey in 2018 revealed a rise in surgical procedures, leading to 33 percent of operating room managers expanding their staff to meet the demands.
The median wage for OR nurses varies from $73,000 to $89,000.
Critical care nurse
Critical care nurses work alongside doctors and specialists to care for critically ill patients. They are often referred to as ICU nurses. During the pandemic, there was an increase of 36% in ICU beds compared to the year 2019. The rise in critically sick patients also caused an increase in demand for critical care nurses.
Critical nurses work in fast-paced environments, like the pediatric intensive care unit, ICU’s for children heart care centers, and various other departments for emergencies. Their work’s pressure-filled and rapid-paced character has resulted in ICU Burnout Syndrome.
The median salary of ICU nurses ranges from $71,000-$85,000.
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Certified dialysis nurse
A dialysis nurse, also known as a nephrology nurse, specializes in caring for kidney-related patients. They usually work in dialysis centers or departments and aid patients undergoing dialysis treatment.
This field is expected to see significant job growth due to the aging population. Additionally, a report from 2021 from the Center for Disease Control stated that one in seven US people suffer from chronic kidney illness. Therefore, the need for nurses who specialize in renal care is predicted to increase.
The median wage for dialysis nurses varies from $75,000 to $96,000.
Nurse care manager
The nurse manager is a member of an interprofessional team. The team helps patients with complex diseases or recuperating from major medical events. They create long-term care plans for patients. In general, nursing case managers work in specializations like cancer or children’s.
Today, there is an increasing demand for care managers as healthcare facilities attempt to lower expenses and improve the patient experience through nurses who manage care.
The median wage for nurse care managers ranges between $71,000 and $75,000.