Nursing is one of the most in-demand professions in the United States. The demand for safe and efficient patient care grows along with the population’s use of healthcare services. The nursing shortage has been a long-standing concern within the healthcare sphere and has become even more pronounced during the COVID-19 era.
Below, we explore where nurses are most in demand, including which states have the highest demand for registered nurses (RNs). Additionally, you’ll learn about some in-demand nursing specialties along with the necessary skills and training. Lastly, we’ll discuss the advantages of working in high-demand roles and the potential for nursing career growth.
Why Are Nurses in Demand?
A 2017 report on the nursing workforce shows factors that contribute to the nursing shortage and subsequent demand. People are living longer, and according to the 2020 Census, the number of people from the baby boomer generation will be 73 million in the US. With the aging population comes an increase in chronic medical conditions like type 2 diabetes. The nursing workforce is also aging, with 19% of RNs 65 and over. This decade will see many registered nurses retiring.
Another factor contributing to the demand for nurses is that nursing programs must be able to admit the number of eligible applicants they receive. Unfortunately, nursing schools nationwide have turned away qualified candidates because of the nursing faculty shortage.
The Bureau of Labor Studies shows the demand for nurses is trending upward. While the average growth rate for all occupations is 5%, the job outlook for nursing is 6% between 2021 and 2031. Each year, through 2031, will see approximately 203,000 jobs for RNs. Increasing the nurse workforce is necessary throughout the US.
Geographic Areas Where Nurses Are Most in Demand
Nurses are in demand worldwide in rural and urban regions. However, rural areas are less populated, with healthcare facilities far away. Fortunately, advances in healthcare technology allow for better access to care with telehealth services at existing facilities. Below are some rural areas nationwide where nurses are most in demand.
- East Kentucky
- West Central-Southwest New Hampshire
- Southern Ohio
- Northwest Nebraska
- Southern Illinois
Metropolitan and urban areas are far denser than smaller towns. Because of the population density, healthcare facilities are plentiful, and there is more demand for nurses in these regions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the following metropolitan areas have the highest employment level of registered nurses.
- New York, New York and Newark and Jersey City, New Jersey
- Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Anaheim, California
- Chicago, Naperville, and Elgin, Illinois
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Camden, New Jersey; and Wilmington, Delaware
- Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts and Nashua, New Hampshire
Additionally, where nurses are most in demand is more pronounced in some states than others. For example, states like Wyoming have far more nurse applicants than jobs, while states like South Carolina have more jobs than nurses to fill them. Below are the top five states and the mean hourly wage where RNs are most in demand.
- California, $59.62/hour
- Texas, $38.04/hour
- New Jersey, $43.12/hour
- South Carolina, $33.45/hour
- Alaska, $46.74/hour
If you are curious about RN salaries in other parts of the country, Health eCareers has a salary calculator.
Healthcare Settings Where Nurses Are Most in Demand
Nurses are in demand in various work environments. Government agencies, hospitals, ambulatory care, physician offices, long-term care facilities, and academia are just a few employment settings for nurses. However, 60% of registered nurses work in hospitals. Hence, hospitals are where nurses are most in demand. There is a high demand for nurses in the following acute care and community settings:
- Private practices
- Health maintenance organizations (HMOs)
- Public health agencies
- Primary care clinics
- Home healthcare
- Minute clinics
- Outpatient surgical centers
- Nursing school-operated clinics
- Insurance and managed care companies
- Schools
- Mental health agencies
- Hospice
- Healthcare research
What Types of Nursing Jobs Are Most in Demand?
While nurses work in various settings, most jobs are in acute care hospitals and ambulatory care facilities. Some benefits of working in high-demand areas include competitive salaries, job security, educational development, and opportunities for professional growth. The following list comprises some specializations that are most in demand for nurses.
- Critical care nurse
- Nurse practitioner
- Certified registered nurse anesthetist
- Clinical nurse specialist
- Oncology nurse
- Pediatric nurse
- Public health nurse
- Telemetry nurse
As a nurse, you don’t have to limit yourself. Business-minded nurses may want to pursue entrepreneurship, while the more technologically savvy may enjoy nurse informatics.
What Specific Skills Are Most in Demand for Nurses?
The basic skills for RNs include documentation, nursing assessments, medication administration, care coordination, and patient education. In addition, specific skills in demand for nurses depend on the patient population, the healthcare institution, and the nurse’s level of education, licensure, or certification.
For example, an intensive care unit (ICU) RN will need to know how to interpret heart rates and rhythms and understand how to obtain clinical data from specialized monitoring equipment.
APRNs have a broader scope of practice and specialized skill sets than RNs. A nurse practitioner’s (NP) license allows them to prescribe medications, order treatments, and other primary care competencies. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) belong to one of the highest-paying specialties.
All nurses, regardless of education, licensing, and credentials, possess other qualities that are effective at caring for a range of patient populations. These soft skills include the following:
- Critical thinking
- Emotional intelligence
- Organizational skills
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Compassion
- Time management
- Delegation
- Physical endurance
AreThereSpecialRequirementsforNursestoWorkin CertainAreas?
Depending on the specialty, nurses need specialized knowledge to work in certain professional areas. All nurses must attend an accredited nursing program and have a nursing license to practice, regardless of specialization and educational level. The requirements for APRNs include an RN license, a BSN degree, years of work experience in their specialty area, and passing their certification exam.
Nurse certificates like the CCRN for ICU nurses are unnecessary to work in a specialty area. However, a certificate is impressive; it shows potential employers that you have mastered the clinical knowledge and skills in your practice area. Furthermore, you may have to work a few years in your specialty before taking a certification exam.
Additional requirements to work in a specialty depend on the institution and patient population you serve. For instance, pediatric and geriatric nurses are knowledgeable about adapting their communication styles to their patients’ developmental levels. These nurses have expertise in age-based drug calculations and dosing. Plus, they’re knowledgeable about the prevalent diseases affecting their patient population.
As one of the most trusted and highly respected healthcare professionals, nurses provide essential patient care. Where nurses are most in demand spans geographical areas and healthcare settings. Nurses play a vital role in the healthcare system, and the demand for nursing care continues to climb. With an aging population, nurse retirement, and shortages of nursing faculty, the profession expects the need for nurses to increase even further in the coming years.
If you are looking for your next nursing job or are new to the profession, check out the Health eCareers has thousands of nursing job opportunities.
Kimberly Madison, MS, RN, is a freelance health content writer with over 13 years of experience as a registered nurse. She creates high-quality blog content, health news articles, web copy, infographics, and patient education materials for hospitals and healthcare brands.
References
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing. “Nursing Fact Sheet.” Last Updated September 2022. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-Information/fact-sheets/nursing-fact-sheet
- American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology. “Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Fact Sheet.” Last Updated October 5, 2022. https://www.aana.com/membership/become-a-crna/crna-fact-sheet
- America Counts Staff. “2020 Census Will Help Policymakers Prepare for the Incoming Wave of Aging Boomers.” United States Census Bureau. December 10, 2019. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/12/by-2030-all-baby-boomers-will-be-age-65-or-older.html
- Caldwell, Nicole. “Rural Areas with the Greatest Opportunities for Nurses.” Nursing Education. August 20, 2021. https://nursingeducation.org/rural-areas-with-the-greatest-opportunities-for-nurses/
- Firth, Shannon. “More Support Needed to Shore Up Nurse Pipeline, Experts Say.” MedPageToday. May 11, 2022. https://www.medpagetoday.com/nursing/nursing/98663
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- Smiley, Richard A., Pamela Lauer, Cynthia Bienemy, Judith G. Berg, Emilie Shireman, Kyrani A. Reneau, and Maryann Alexander. “The 2017 National Nursing Workforce Survey.” Supplement 9, no. 3 (2018): S1-S88. https://www.journalofnursingregulation.com/article/S2155-8256(18)30131-5/fulltext
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021: 29-1141 Registered Nurses.” Last Updated March 31, 2022. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm
- U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered Nurses.” Last Updated September 8, 2022. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm#tab-1
