With increased nursing demand on the horizon in the U.S., long-term care providers are now offering a wide variety of incentives to bring more nurses to their facilities.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has said that more than 1 million additional nurses will be needed in the healthcare industry by 2022. By that time, 16% of the population will be 65 and older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. With nearly 85% of seniors living with health conditions requiring medical treatment, they will be the age group in most need of care.
“The nursing shortage, aging population and rising incidence of chronic conditions are creating a perfect storm of opportunity for nurses who want to go into caring for those in assisted living,” Kim Estes, senior vice president of clinical services for Brookdale Senior Living, told the Queen’s Tribune.
Free training courses, compensation packages and student loan reimbursement are among the benefits being offered to nurses from providers in an effort to bring more attention to specialized nursing.
“Working in a senior living community can be professionally, personally and financially rewarding,” Estes said.
From the August 01, 2016 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
