Recent Developments in the North American Nursing Job Markets
All across North America, the demand for nurses is increasing every year in all sorts of specialized fields. While the Canadian healthcare system is undergoing some occasional reductions in publicly available jobs, the demand is still increasing which will, in turn, create a more American-style healthcare market.
We’d like to take this chance to thank Claire Benneton, the chief contributor towards international-nursing-jobs.com and an authority on advanced practice nursing and private nursing, who was kind enough to step in and offer us this up-to-date look at how the field of nursing has changed in North America, and what to expect in the years to come.
This can turn out a couple of different ways for those looking to enter the nursing field, as increased jobs will increase the number of people applying, reducing the wages all around – but thanks to the echo of the baby boomer generation, the number of elderly patients who will require palliative care – as well as the families that their children are starting – will only increase the demand once again.
Surgical nurses, one of the more commonly known specialized nurse types (Image courtesy of http://surgical-nurse.com)
A variety of specialized nurse positions have been developed over the last decade or two, and finally formalized into a series of certified positions. As the demand for healthcare professionals increases, you’re likely to become familiar with titles such as advanced practice nurses, neonatal nurse practictioners, surgical nurses and other types of highly-specialized nursing positions.
There are a wide variety of jobs available in the market, and I’m not just talking about the typical geriatric nursing jobs in south Florida that have been around for ages that most people think of when they hear ‘nursing jobs’, but rather these highly trained and specialized nursing positions that command a very high wage. For example, with some experience, the average nurse anesthetist salary can reach up to $120,000, depending on the location you’re working in and whether or not you’ve acquired a masters or doctor of nursing practice degree. Naturally, the higher your level of nursing education, the higher your rate of pay – and working somewhere rural can often command a higher salary and greater tax benefits, although there is something to be said for working in a high-pressure urban hospital environment that can be incredibly exciting.
One question I’m regularly asked is whether or not there is any specific nursing schools that I recommend – and the answer is yes. Not all nursing programs are created equal, and can make a big difference in the final salary you make as a surgical nurse practitioner. The top nursing programs in the United States are found at John Hopkins University (which is no surprise), as well as the Universities of Pennsylvania and Washington. Competition for their nursing programs is fierce, but the rewards are huge. However, there are many other excellent programs both in Canada and the US, so as long as you research the school, and specifically its nursing program, you can be sure that you’ll wind up with a nursing job that is both emotionally and monetarily rewarding!
If you’re looking for more information on nursing topics, try these sites which are also maintained by the talented Claire:
advance for nurse practitioners
certified nursing assistant job description
family nurse practitioner job description
how to become a legal nurse consultant
Loved the article, Claire, and I’ll be sure to check our your other work – but I have a couple of other questions, if you don’t mind =)
What really is the different between a basic registered nurse and a nurse practitioner? I know the other specializations require a lot more training, but I can’t tell if an RN and an NP are really the same job.
Thanks for the feedback! As for the clarification between an RN and an NP, it often depends on where you’re located – rules vary from state to state and from country to country. I found a good site that has a description of a registered nurse, and you can visit this website to learn more about nurse practitioners. I hope that helps you, I’m happy to answer any other questions you might have!