It is no secret that the current economic state of the country is not good.
The unemployment rate for the United States has been hovering around 9% for a while now and if you are one of the unfortunate people to have recently lost your job, you may be looking for a new career.
Many people are now choosing to go back to school and change professions.
Nursing is a career choice that many consider, the question is, How is the profession holding up? Are there any nursing jobs available? Where are these jobs located? Job Growth for Registered Nurses (RN) According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected rate of growth for registered nursing jobs is expected to be around 22% from 2008 through 2018.
This is a much higher rate of growth than the average rate of growth for all occupations.
RNs hold the largest number of jobs of the healthcare occupations, with around 2.
6 million RNs being employed throughout the country in 2008.
Registered Nurses work in a variety of settings, but over 60% are employed by hospitals.
The job opportunities for individuals graduating with a RN degree are expected to be excellent, but may vary depending on the area in which a person lives.
The RN occupation is so large that there are expected to be over 581,500 new jobs created by 2018, which is more new jobs available than any other occupation.
Job Growth for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) As with RNs, people seeking work as a licensed practical nurse or LPN can expect a faster than average job growth rate as well.
The expected growth of LPN employment opportunities is expected to grow by 21% from 2008 and 2018, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As of 2008, there were 735,600 jobs working as an LPN.
Twenty-eight percent of these jobs are in nursing homes and twenty-five percent are working in hospitals.
The increased number of the elderly population will be the main reason for the growing need of LPNs.
Better technology is allowing individuals to live longer and because of this, there is an increased need for healthcare services.
The most jobs as an LPN will be found working in nursing care facilities.
Overall Outlook The healthcare industry in general has not been affected by the recession.
A person that is seeking a new career should seriously consider nursing, as there are many job opportunities available in this area.
Both LPNs and RNs can expect to find jobs available upon completing their respective nursing programs.