Specialties in health care are constantly in demand, and on this occasion we’ve made a list of the ten cities with high demand for nurses, to help those with the proper qualifications make their way to a city and people that are in desperate need of their services. The job outlook for registered nurses is indeed promising; according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, this occupation is growing faster than average.
The employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 19% from 2012 to 2022. Moreover, becoming a registered nurse isn’t as expensive or lengthy as other health care professions: the entry-level education required is an Associate’s degree. Finally, the pay is definitely tempting; according to the 2012 figures registered nurses make around $65,470 per year.
If you are interested in the health care job market, you might like to find out which are the Top Ten Best-Paid Medical Specialties. But if being a nurse is what you want, let’s take a deeper look into this profession. RNs take care of patients, of course, but they are also expected to educate people about various health conditions, as well as to provide emotional support for the patients and their families. Furthermore, there are lots of different nursing specialties including dental nursing, ambulatory care nursing, critical care nursing, emergency and trauma nursing, flight nursing, forensic nursing, holistic nursing, medical-surgical nursing, legal nursing, psychiatric nursing, military nursing, neonatal nursing, telenursing, travel nursing, school nursing and even space nursing. Nurses can work in hospitals, home care services, nursing facilities, physicians’ offices, schools, correctional facilities or serve in the military. As you’ve seen, nursing is a very broad profession; no wonder RNs are in such high demand nowadays.
However, nurses are not only in demand at the moment, but in the near future this demand is expected to grow. Recent nursing statistics show that by 2020 the U.S will experience a nursing shortage of about one million as baby boomers age and the need for health care professionals grows. These projections are also based on various other factors: the growing rates of chronic conditions such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes; an increased emphasis on preventive care; a longer life expectancy; and the descending number of nursing students. That’s why in recent years incentives for nurses have been growing, and they are expected to increase even more in the years to come.
In compiling our list we used data from the Occupational Employment Statistics, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. So, are you curious about the ten cities with high demand for nurses? Let’s take a look at the countdown.
10. St. Louis, Missouri
Employment: 33,300
Employment per thousand jobs: 25.79
Location quotient: 1.28
Hourly mean wage: $28.48
Annual mean wage: $59,240
The countdown of cities with high demand for nurses continues on the next page.
