By Diana Braley, Recruiting Professional at DB Talent Consulting LLC.

Have you ever wondered about the value of a Nursing Degree? Or thought about the impact a career in the Nursing Field will have in the community? Well according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics “the need for RN professionals in the next 10 years will increase by 19% in the United States.” (2019, BLS.Gov)

As a recruiter I meet all levels of healthcare professionals but the most sought-after candidates by far is the licensed RN with a BSN degree or above. In many states a Nurse Practitioner (MSN) is the only local provider who has the capacity to assess, treat and prescribe within the community. Many rural communities rely on an experienced Nurse Practitioner as they do a local General Practitioner (MD).

As a recruiter, I have had talent acquisition requests for rural Colorado, where the opportunities to provide care as an independent Nurse Practitioner is driven by the shortage of qualified Physicians. According to Registered Nurse.Org (2019) “the most sought-after Advanced Nurse is within the specialty areas of Psychiatric Care and Substance Use Care, where they can earn between $53.41 to $70.01 per hour on average”. (2019, Registered Nurse. Org)

Being a BSN trained Nurse is also a highly sought-after professional within the employment landscape, with many of the Nurses I meet making between $31.00 to $40.00 an hour in their roles. With the greatest number of Nurses being employed by local non-profits and Hospital systems.

Overall the prospect for Nursing employment, wages and industry growth continues to be driven by demand. In the State of Colorado for instance, the need for qualified Nurses far exceeds the population growth in the community. According to the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence (2019) “there is a need for 3,300 new Nurses per year which takes into account replacement rates for retiring Nurses and the population growth over the past few years in Colorado. This demand far exceeds the average graduation rate of 900 new RN’s per year.” (2019, Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence). This trend allows for an expansion of more attractive benefit packages and higher salaries among healthcare employers. While the overall salaries in many industries continues to remain flat, Nurses and other licensed healthcare professionals will see growth in their wages (Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.Gov, 2019). That’s good news for those entering the workplace right now!

So how valuable is a Nursing Degree and how will your career as a Nurse impact the community? Well overall every Nurse that I meet tells me that this is one of the most rewarding careers they could have ever imagined, and one of the most versatile. I have met Nurses who started in bedside but grew in the area of Medical Records and they now manage EMR systems for a large hospital. I have also met Nurses who have gone into Psychiatric Mental Health Care who have found fulfilling careers in an area of healthcare often overlooked.

So, whether you are a new grad seeking your first role as an RN or an experienced RN looking for your next best opportunity, just know that always learning, growing, and updating your skills or certifications as an RN, will result in a long and fulfilling career. If you or someone you know is looking for a career change or growth within the Nursing or Medical field please click here to find out more.