The nursing profession continues to evolve and progress at a meteoric pace. The current trends in nursing and care are multifactorial including: the increase in the aging population, a transition to informatics, a nursing shortage, and an overarching emphasis on specific frameworks for the guiding of nursing practice, including integration of evidence based practice. It is estimated that 26% of the United States (U.S.) population are ââ¬ÅBaby Boomersââ¬Â. As the ââ¬ÅBaby Boomerââ¬Â population ages, so does the increase in aging adults with complex health issues. Nurses today must be more adept than ever at caring for the aging adult while the healthcare environment struggles to accommodate this rapidly increasing population. In addition to an increasing aging population, another trend is the increase reliance on informatics. The incorporation of technology into the healthcare arena may be a challenge for many nurses. The inclusion of the digital medical record has assisted facilities in providing for a more streamlined, accessible, and accurate health history. There also continues to be variation among facilities in the initiation of informatics leading to a lack of consistency from facility to facility. However, it is important to recognize that not all nursing professionals possess the necessary computer literacy skills needed for proficiency in understanding and utilizing informatics, especially those nurses that have been in the nursing profession for quite some time. This leads to consideration of the fact that many nurses are retiring without the numbers to replace them.
Current Trends in Nursing and Care: Status of the Profession
Elizabeth D. Gulledge
Last date updated on September, 2024