It is no secret: the United States is in dire need of more nurses. Although colleges are doing their best to recruit new nurses, current figures indicate that we are still going to see a national shortage over the next several years unless the number of nurses-in-training grows dramatically. Although it is no secret that we need more nurses, what many don’t understand is why our country needs more nurses. While there are a multitude of reasons, the following are the top 5 reasons why there is a projected shortage and why we continue to need more nursing professionals.

Reason #1: Advancements in Medical Technology

Advancements in medical technology have helped to make people live longer lives and have helped save many lives that otherwise would have been lost. In order to operate this equipment, however, we need nurses and other medical professionals who know how to use the technology to diagnose, treat and to prevent disease. Therefore, we need more nurses who are trained in medical technology and capable of using it to its fullest potential.

Reason #2: Growing Population

Since advancements in medical technology have helped save lives and because the population grows exponentially anyway, our growing population has resulted in a need for more nurses as well. As our population grows, so does our need for more nurses to care for our medical needs.

Reason #3: Longer Life Spans

Medical technology and medicine advancements have also helped our population enjoy a longer life span. This, of course, adds to the growing population problem while also resulting in a need for nurses who can fulfill the needs of the elderly as well as those with special health concerns.

Reason #4: Potential Universal Healthcare Program

Although President Obama’s healthcare plan has yet to be approved and although it may not come through exactly as he had hoped, one thing is for certain: changes in healthcare are on the horizon and part of this change will be to make healthcare services accessible to more people. Currently, there are a significant number of people who are not obtaining the healthcare they need because they simply cannot afford it. With universal healthcare programs around the corner and with the country trying to place a greater focus on prevention rather than treatment after a condition has been diagnosed, the need for qualified nurses to handle this influx of new patients will be necessary.

Reason #5: We’re Already Short

Finally, the United States needs more nurses for one simple reason: we already don’t have enough. Quite simply, hospitals and doctor’s offices around the country are already struggling with filling their vacant positions. Couple this with the fact that the demand for healthcare will only increase over the next several years, it is easy to see why our country is predicted to have a significant shortness of nurses over the next several years unless we can get more people enrolled in nursing classes.

If you are interested in a medical career, visit the Top Colleges home page to start exploring all of the different career opportunities within this field. Or, visit the nursing degree page to learn more about this specific medical career.