21 Fascinating Facts About Nursing

The nursing profession is continually changing, despite being one of the earliest in the world. Gaining a deeper grasp of current events will help you assess your abilities and position in the industry. 

Here is a compilation of the nursing facts statistics regarding the nursing profession in 2024 that you will find most fascinating, intriguing, and thrilling! 

Nursing Facts 1: Healthcare Nursing Jobs

• Nursing is the most extensive healthcare profession in the United States, with over 5.2 million registered nurses working in the United States alone. Even more captivating is the fact that over 90% of those nurses are actively employed.
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a 5% increase, or about 204,000 new Registered Nurse positions, will be induced between 2016 and 2031, suggesting an uninterrupted and increasing demand for nurses. 
• Nurses are some of the highest-paid professionals in the country. An annual pay of $77,600 is typical for professionals in this sizable occupation, according to the BLS. 
• Warm welcomes and elevated expectations await aspiring nurses who join the sector. The percentage of healthcare organizations stating that they require or highly prefer a bachelor's degree for new registered nurses is growing; about 28% of these firms require a BSN, and 72% say they actively prefer it.
• Even though there is an increasing demand for nurses holding advanced degrees, the supply is still not enough; just 17.4% of registered nurses in the U.S. hold a master's degree, while fewer than 3% have a doctoral. 
• According to LinkedIn, registered nursing was the third most sought-after profession in the United States in 2023.
• Survey results posted on MyAmericanNurse.com show that out of 4,380 nurse clinicians and managers interviewed, over half had received salary increases in the last year, and another 25% had done so in the two years preceding that. A rise within the past year was more common among clinicians than managers. Approximately 50% of nurse managers got a bonus last year, 23% got a non-discretionary incentive, and 7% got both bonuses. 

Nursing Facts 2: Demographics of Nursing 

• More than a quarter of R.N.s have expressed a desire to retire within the next five years, and the average median age of nurses is 46, so clearly, the nursing profession is getting older. 
• The proportion of male nurses has tripled in the last fifty years, rising from 9.4% in 2020 to 11.2% in 2022, even though the nursing profession has long been identified with women. 
• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of nurse practitioners is predicted to grow by 46% between 2021 and 2031. 
• As per the report of Minority Nurses, the number of male nurses stood at 2% and has now gone up to almost 14%.
• According to the survey, 80% of the nurses are White or Caucasian, 7.4% are Asian, 6.3% are Black or African-American, and 2.5% identify with more than one race. This is despite nursing continuing to recruit professionals from all walks of life. Among the people who identify as Hispanic, 6.9% are Native Hawaiians; Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and other Pacific Islanders make up less than 1%. 

Quick Facts Nursing: The Role of Nurses 

• The United States is home to four times the number of medical doctors as registered nurses, and for good reason, nurses provide comprehensive care. In addition to general and preventative nursing care, patients in many medical specialties are turning to APRNs, N.M.s, and N.P.s for specialized treatment in pediatrics, geriatrics, neurology, cardiac care, oncology, and more. 
• In addition to providing direct patient care, modern nurses often work independently in research, quality assurance, case management, and care supervision. When it comes to patient education and the establishment of practice standards, they are heavily involved. 
• More than 36,000 nurse practitioners (NPs) graduated from their respective academic programs in 2020 and 2021, adding to the more than 355,000 NPs already licensed in the U.S. 
• For an unprecedented 19 years, Gallup polls have shown that Americans have the utmost faith in nurses, describing them as the healthcare industry's most trustworthy and moral members. 
• In 2020, there were 78,740 nonfatal injuries and illnesses in the workplace, resulting in at least one day of absence for registered nurses working in the private sector. Compared to 2019, when 20,150 similar cases were reported, this is a 290.8 percent increase, or over four times the number of cases. This is a far higher rate of injuries sustained while on the job compared to the construction industry. Despite patients being responsible for 40.8% of injuries, fatigue was the leading cause of R.N. injuries at 25%. Other causes included falls, slips, and stumbles. 

Nursing Facts No 4: Job Contentment 

• Regarding healthcare jobs, U.S. News & World Report puts nursing at #8 and #17. The nurse practitioner position is considered the top in healthcare and among the two best in the country. 
• Medscape polled 7,540 American nurses; 72 percent expressed satisfaction with their job choice, while 27 percent indicated they would not pursue nursing. In the same poll, 36% of R.N.s reported extreme burnout, and 32% reported moderate burnout. 
• Over 60% of nurses say they have trouble falling or staying asleep. 
• The American Nurses Association conducted a survey that revealed both an increase in the number of workplace violence incidents reported and an improvement in the quality of reactions provided by the reports compared to previous years. This suggests that the Joint Commission's mandate regarding workplace violence, implemented in January 2022, has the desired effect.