The nursing industry has come a long way since the days of Florence Nightingale. In fact, it is changing at such a speed that itÂ’s hard to keep up. To find out what the future of this industry might look like, keep reading below:
1. The Use of Telehealth Will Increase
In todayÂ’s technological era, a host of information is at our fingertips. Video tutorials, apps, and automatic reminders help make our lives easier than ever, and telehealth nursing hopes to transform the healthcare industry using this technology.Â
More and more doctorsÂ’ surgeries and hospitals use patient portals to provide patients with convenient, quick access to their healthcare information. These portals work through secure apps or sites where healthcare professionals can upload results, records, prescriptions, and other health information for their patients to access. In some cases, these portals are also used to ask patients for feedback or book follow-up appointments.Â
But this type of technology goes further than this. In the future, we expect to see it opening up a vast range of possibilities, like carb counting and alerts reminding patients when to take their medication. These tools will hopefully improve the health of our nation.Â
2. Some Nurses Will Work Remotely
Currently, most US nurses work in healthcare settings or the community. However, the future of nursing looks completely different. While we will still need nurses to work in these ways, we expect to see an increase in the number of nurses choosing to work from home. They will use technology like email, smartphone apps and interactive videos to contact patients and help them with any concerns. It is hoped that remote working will help reduce waiting times and cut costs.Â
3. AI and Automated Tasks in Nursing
The use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) is streamlining patient care delivery. Machine learning and AI allow healthcare settings to collect and analyze massive amounts of data. The information they learn from this can be used to guide their decision-making. Here are some examples of this:
- Robotics and voice assistants – these can be used to prompt patients to take their medication and to augment patientsÂ’ movements and care.Â
- Sensor-based technology AI can be used to collect data, facilitate patient monitoring, and recommend treatment based on the results. This can improve the outcomes for people with chronic conditions such as diabetes.Â
- Mobile technology – thousands of people in the US use fitness apps and mobile heart monitors. Providers can use the data collected from these apps.
Must Read:Â How Nurses Improve Patient Care Outcomes: 8 Key Strategies
4. Shifting Demographics
Historically, US nursing demographics have been reasonably uniform along gender lines. According to a study, in the 1930s, only 3.5% of nurses were male. However, by 2015, the ratio of men to women in nursing was about 1 to every 9.5. And this shift is unlikely to stop there. It is thought that more men will enter nursing in 2024 than in any other year on record.Â
Nurses are and always have been amazing. They are the heroes of our healthcare system, caring for the healthy and sick all around the world. However, nurses have a lot to deal with; the role of a nurse is continually changing, meaning they are constantly having to adapt. Thankfully, as you can see from the information above, the future of nursing looks promising.
