The Nursing Profession Within the United States

In essence, nursing has always been a part our society. Today, the health care industry provides somewhere around 13.5 million jobs, which makes it 8 out of the 20 fastest growing occupations, as well as the country's largest industry. As Ephraim Zagelbaum, the founder and CEO of Personal Healthcare and explains, compared to other industries, health-care is expected to realize a significant increase in the number of career opportunities across the spectrum of its many specialties. His company currently owns 10+ nursing homes within New York and Massachusetts with more than 1,300 beds. According to that, his company offers a big number of job opportunities. One of the biggest nursing home within Personal Health Care is Tarrytown Hall Care Center, based in Tarrytown, NY, with a total of 120 beds. 

But of course, nursing wasn’t always as consolidating as it is today. As a matter of fact, Ephraim Zagelbaum states, it took years and years for it to grow and reach this status. The 20th century was an important turning point, as it paved the way for a larger and more expanded role for nurses, introducing different distinct areas for nurses to specialize in. In the period leading up to the current day, nursing went through some major shifts which successfully reshaped the typical “doctor assistant” description, allowing nurses to perform more complex duties, such as performing procedures or prescribing medication. Furthermore, as Ephraim Zagelbaum notes, nurses today have the option to choose training from well over 200 unique healthcare specialties.

Just as it already has, nursing will change again in the next twenty to fifty years, but Ephraim Zagelbaum is convinced that the fundamentals will be the same, and despite all the challenges it will still be a great profession. When speaking about changes, many experts including Ephraim Zagelbaum himself, as is stated in his journal articles, believe that the direction of travel will to get many more nurses out into the community, which will allow more opportunities and possibly new roles for nurses outside of an acute hospital setting. The use of technology will also become more ubiquitous, and there will be more nurses involved in research.

In the current economic environment, nurses contribute to the health and wealth of this country, and investing in a well-educated, well-supported workforce has measurable benefits. Recent research has showed that a well-educated nurse workforce can lead to a better patient outcome. While the role of nurses in the world has expanded dramatically within the last 2 centuries, it’s clear that nursing will continue to grow into an even more important aspect of the health care industry within the years to come.