In an era where healthcare reforms are of the utmost importance, a nurse’s role is more crucial than ever before. Today’s nursing workforce seems poised to overcome changes regarding employment growth and salaries. And, healthcare leaders must always adapt to keep up with the ever-changing nature of our healthcare system. Millions of nurse practitioners remain on the frontlines, trying to improve people’s lives everywhere. They empathize, understand, and listen to what their patients have to say while delivering high-quality medical care.
What will the future of healthcare hold for nurses everywhere? That is a question that nurses dread the most. To say there are a few obstacles in the nursing world is putting everything thing pretty mildly. These can range from difficulty adapting to new healthcare technologies to the same old gender biases. Nurses everywhere are already setting aside their personal and career goals for their patients. Adding more issues forces them into early retirement. It is why organizations such as the ANA advocate for more than four million nurses in the USA alone. However, they can only do so much to help these nurses out. Today, in this article, we will look at some challenges nurses face in advancing their careers. You can take a look at some of them listed down below:
- Lack of Developmental and Advancement Opportunities
An overwhelming 51 percent of nurses stated that they did not see enough advancement or developmental opportunities in their healthcare careers. Such a thing is common across every industry out there, but it is especially apparent in the nursing field. However, nurses can mitigate such a situation by going for further education in their respective specialization. Nurses can go for an online masters degree in nursing or a DNP if they want new opportunities to open up for them. Employers also need to consider investing in training and education opportunities to keep their nursing workforce up to date with the latest nursing practices.
- Work-Related Injuries
According to the BLS, the primary type of injury that nurses suffer from is chronic back pain. The nursing profession ranks at the top of the list of occupations that regularly sees back injuries. And as per the American Journal of Critical Care, it is the main reason that there is a shortage of nurses in hospitals and clinics everywhere.
According to another research, 38 percent of nurses remain affected with back pain. In comparison, 12 percent believed that it was the main reason for hanging up their nursing boots. Such an injury can stop anyone from advancing their career, let alone a nurse who has to stay on his/her feet 24/7.
- Poor Salaries
From nurses to all other healthcare professionals, a healthcare employee earns around 24.66 dollars an hour on average and works about 33 hours per week. This average has been steadily on the rise since 2006 when the average hourly pay was four dollars less. However, 40 percent of healthcare individuals felt that they did not make money according to their work ethic.
Overworking and not getting paid accordingly drastically hinders a nurse’s progress towards career advancements. It also allows complacency to set in, followed by a reduction in job satisfaction.
- Difficulty Adopting New Healthcare Technologies
Healthcare technology is continuously evolving at breakneck speeds, which increases the demand for new skills and constant learning in the nursing field. The majority of nurses worldwide feel that they can’t keep up with these technological advancements and on-the-job learning. After all, continued education is a part of their job. Still, it doesn’t mean that nurses need to know everything to survive in the healthcare industry.
However, not doing so will result in reduced access to patient data. Keeping up with the latest technological trends in the healthcare industry may be necessary these days for nurses to satisfy practicing laws and maintain proper patient care.
- Stressful Work Environment
The quality of life and schedule of a nurse is psychologically and physically draining. A nurse usually works around 12-14 hours per day while continually being on their feet. They also spend a lot of time on-call and working extra hours. Maintaining a balance between work and family life becomes tough for them as burnout can quickly set in. The unavailability of adequate nursing staff also adds more to such a problem.
As nurses are always working 24/7, 365 days a year, they get little to no opportunity to further their careers and remain stuck with the same old job for countless years. After all, the work environment’s quality plays a critical role in deciding whether a nurse wants to advance his/her career in the organization. When their work environment is terrible, nurses decide to hang up their boots or look for other opportunities elsewhere.
- Stiff Competition from Other, Better Nurses
While working in a hospital setting, you will not be the only nurse in the hospital’s workforce. A nurse will face stiff competition from other better-educated nurses, and advancement opportunities will become hard to come by.
For example, a nurse working in the same position for ten years will have no chance against a nurse who recently graduated and applied for a job. Sure, the experience will play a huge part. Still, someone who has the latest education will know more advanced nursing practices and adopt technology more quickly. Not to sound like a broken, record the bottom line here is continued education is a must if nurses want to advance their career.
- Harassment in the Workplace
Nowadays, harassment in the workplace is common, and the nursing field experiences the same thing. Ranging from sexual harassment to outright bullying, nurses have to experience such things daily. A nurse might become a target of verbal or physical abuse from the patient’s family members or other veteran nurses.
These veteran nurses are not as welcoming as they should be and grow impatient with the recently hired hospital or clinic nurses. After all, they wouldn’t want them to take their place and advance their career while they sit in the same old position.
Conclusion
The nursing field requires individuals who are resilient, persistent, and can adapt to change. Facing everyday healthcare challenges is what makes the job of a nurse worth it. It allows them to grow exponentially and take their careers to new heights. While some issues will always remain ever-present, education and continuous learning will enable nurses to overcome them and become better at their job.
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