Why is It Important to Keep Up With 2022 Top Nursing Trends?

In terms of lifestyle, what we do for work plays a key role in how we live. This is not only in terms of finding a rewarding, satisfying career to move into but also using the money we earn to live our best life. One of the most popular career choices across the US is nursing. This is not a surprise when you think of the excellent pay, range of job opportunities and job security that nursing delivers. This is also a profession that enables you to help others and make a real difference in society. 

As with most sectors in the modern world, nursing is always advancing and looks a lot different than it did even 10 years ago. This is mainly due to the trends seen in this industry each year that help drive it. But which ones have been the top nursing trends for 2022, and why do you need to keep up with them? 

Online learning 

One of the biggest nursing trends in 2022 has been online learning. This has seen online courses become prominent for working nurses and a viable way for them to gain the qualifications needed to move into more advanced roles. The online RN to Master of Science in Nursing Family Nurse Practitioner course from Spring Arbor University is a good example of this. 

As an online program, it offers an accessible way for the modern working nurse to advance their career. With a week off between courses to re-energize and a dedicated student success coach to lean on, this course shows just what online learning offers to those within the sector. 

But what else does learning in this way offer for nurses? Flexible learning is a big draw because it means that students can fit in studies around their working life. Being able to study from home and not have to take time off work to travel to classes in person is also very appealing. When you also factor in better value for money compared to on-campus learning, the picture becomes clearer. 

High demand for nurses skilled in caring for elderly patients 

One of the major trends seen in nursing during 2022 has been a rising demand for specialist nurses who can look after elderly patients. This has been driven by the aging population across the US and the extra staff needed within nursing to care for them. When you think that more than 50 million US citizens are aged 65 or older, the situation comes into much better focus. 

This change in terms of demographics has seen extra pressure put onto the US healthcare system in terms of the routine checks, extra preventative care and more complicated treatment plans that elderly patients require. More advanced treatments, research breakthroughs and tech in healthcare also means that older patients are living for a longer time now. 

As a result, qualified nurses who can help alleviate this pressure and give excellent, specialized care to older patients have been in high demand during 2022. As this is not a situation that will change anytime soon, expect to see this being a trend that will stay around for the long haul.

Male nurses have been trending in 2022 

In the past, nursing has been an industry that has been dominated by women. This left little room for male nurses to enter the sector or get the respect they deserve from society. This year (2022) has signaled a real shift in not only how many male nurses we see in the US now but also the general attitude toward them in the public realm. 

In modern-day healthcare, for example, it is estimated that male nurses make up 14% of all nurses in the US. This represents a real upward shift in terms of how many male nurses are in the sector and shows that gender equality in this area is on the rise. But why has this been trending in 2022? 

Most patients feel more comfortable talking to nurses with whom they can connect or can relate to. This means that a lot of male patients prefer speaking to male nurses — hence why there are more men working in this role now. In addition, society’s attitudes toward male nurses have become much more inclusive, and this means it is a role more men are confident enough to move into. 

Telehealth is a rising nursing trend in 2022 

Telehealth is actually a trend that has blown up all across healthcare during 2022 — with nursing being no exception. This simply refers to healthcare services being delivered digitally and via online methods, such as virtual appointments. 

But what is it about it this way of accessing/providing healthcare that has seen it blossom? For patients, it is a more convenient way of accessing the care they need. When you are ill, for example, you may not feel like going to a clinic or hospital in person for assistance. Telehealth is an ideal solution, as it means you can speak to a qualified medical professional from your own home. 

Many people also prefer speaking to a nurse online from their own home as they do not like coming into a healthcare setting, where they might pick up bugs from other patients. Also, telehealth is perfect for more rural areas in the US with no healthcare facilities close by. 

For those within nursing, this way of providing care is more efficient and enables nurses to treat patients via their preferred method. It also means nurses do not have to travel to give patients treatment in their own home and enables them to offer healthcare advice from anywhere. Although it will never replace face-to-face healthcare entirely, it is a great alternative. 

More awareness of burnout in the sector 

Just as there are many causes of foot injuries, burnout in nursing has a few factors that drive it. The heavy workload nursing roles can bring is one, as can long working hours and the shortage of qualified nurses in some states. 

The COVID-19 pandemic also brought nursing burnout into even sharper focus, and this issue is one that remains a hot topic in 2022. While nursing is a very rewarding profession, it can be full-on at times, and this sees burnout as being something that the nursing profession has finally started to address. 

This has not only seen nurses, themselves, more able to speak about it with colleagues but also employers doing more to reduce burnout in nursing. Initiatives, such as more support offered in work for nurses struggling with this issue and work breaks made a bigger priority, are now common, for example. This not only enables nurses to stay healthier overall but also to help them provide better care to their patients.

Why is it important to keep up with nursing trends?  

Now that we have looked at some of the top trends in nursing for 2022, why is keeping up with them is so crucial?

The simple fact is that nursing is a sector that constantly changes and always advances. As a result, keeping up with the latest industry trends helps working nurses stay up to date with the latest developments to bring into their own role. 

This can not only help you perform to a higher level but also be familiar with the latest trends when talking to colleagues. It also means you know about the latest nursing advances to use when caring for patients, and you’ll be able to offer a better level of care to them. 

Keeping up with trends in nursing is also great for career progression. This is because it allows you to not only find out about the key skills emerging in nursing to pick up but also to see where new job opportunities may be. 

When you think about trends, like online learning, it can also see nurses being more able to find out how to gain the new qualifications required to progress in the industry. As a result, working nurses can really move upward in their career by keeping tabs on the hottest trends, which are changing the sector. 

Why else should you keep up with nursing trends? 

Although keeping up with trends in nursing is mostly something professionals in this industry find useful, it can also be something the general public finds handy, too.

You may, for example, simply have an interest in this sector as a non-nursing professional and find it rewarding to keep up with how nursing is progressing overall. It can also come in handy as a patient, as it means you know about the latest advances in the sector to ask about when being treated. 

If you notice that telehealth is now a hot trend, for example, and do not have a medical facility close by to attend, you could ask for an online appointment next time you are ill with a low-level condition.

Lots of progress in nursing in 2022 

As the above shows, 2022 has been another big year in nursing so far and has come up some influential trends. From more male nurses to telehealth and online learning, there is no doubt that it has been a busy year for the industry. As 2022 draws to a close, you can bet that the trends we have looked at will remain in place, and more will come in 2023.