The Affordable Care Act’s Effect On Nursing
One of the fastest growing career fields in the United States is the nursing field. A big reason for this is the fact that nurses can perform some of the same duties that used to be reserved for doctors while earning a smaller salary. Many hospitals and other medical facilities have come to the conclusion that hiring more nurses is the most economical solution to staying in business.
The Enactment of the Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act, which was enacted in 2010, has created an even greater demand for nurses. Nearly 4.3 million new patients are able to access the new community health centers and health center access points. Each of these new facilities will have to staff nurses, thereby increasing the demand for nurses significantly.
Preventative Services Lead to Nurse Shortages
The federal government has allocated $11 billion to build new, and improve existing, community health centers which can provide preventative care. This has created 6,000 new jobs this year alone and the demand for nurses has never been higher. Some states are grossly underserved such as Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Missouri, New Mexico, and the District of Columbia. In states like Wyoming and Louisiana, the shortage of nurses has reached a critical level.
Receive Assistance for Nurse Training
For this reason, the affordable care act will assist in the training of 3,000 new nurses 800 of which will be in advanced practice. This is a 20% increase which is expected to be in place by 2015. Larger states, such as California and Texas, will receive more allocated money to help build new community health centers and train nurses to staff those facilities.
Compensation for Nursing
There are already many people is training to become nurses because they earn a respectable salary. Their average hourly wage is nearly $44 an hour and they’re in high demand. By providing preventative care to those who might not have been able to afford it, community health centers help to keep small conditions from developing into something far worse. The preventative care act has been controversial but it’s certain to increase the demand for nurses and other medical assistants.
The community health centers provide medical care to individuals with no health care and no way to pay. One third of all patients treated in community health centers are children so it is important that they be fully staffed. As the demand for nurses continues to increase, more people will be needed to meet the demand and those with the proper training should have no trouble finding work.
A major factor in a person’s decision to pursue a career in nursing may be the 90,000 dollar a year average salary. Others are in the field because they genuinely enjoy helping people. Regardless of one’s motives, they are desperately needed to address the demand for CNs LPNs and RNs.