Introduction
Registered Nurse (RN) plays a critical role in modern healthcare industry. Nurses are
regarded as the backbone of any healthcare system since registered nurses work on the front line
in search of health solutions. Nursing profession forms a large segment of any national
healthcare system. The recent changes include increase of diversity in the nursing profession.
Diversity in nurse workforce is essential since it contributes to an efficient and effective
healthcare system (Ulutasdemir, 2018). The minority groups have attained greater representation
in nurse workforce and this allows the national health industry to implement culturally relevant
health care services that consider the unique social and cultural issues of the minority groups
(Boxwell, 2010). A multicultural team enables the health. The nursing demographics are fairly
uniform along gender and racial basis and this trend will continue to influence the quality of
healthcare in the industry for the next twenty years. Diversity has helped the sector to reduce
health disparities, improve the quality of healthcare, and help the entire nation to improve a
culture of health (Boxwell, 2010).
The increase in leadership opportunities in the profession is essential in addressing the
health needs of patients and wider community. Some of the leadership openings for registered
nurses include nurse administrator, nurse executive, and nurse manager (Ulutasdemir, 2018). At
the same time, the increase in opportunities have forced registered nurses to enroll for higher
degrees in order to acquire additional knowledge such as acute care nursing skills. The recent
changes have led to a need for nursing leadership where the registered nurses collaborate with
other health care providers to improve patient outcomes, minimize nursing errors, and attain
greater cost savings (Ulutasdemir, 2018).
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Another recent trend is the unprecedented growth of jobs opportunities of nurses across
the world. The growth in job opportunities is fuelled by the increase in the number of baby
boomer population and the need to combat Covid 19 which has killed many people across the
globe. The change has forced nurses to dedicate their full efforts in attending to many patients
hospitalized in health facilities (Ulutasdemir, 2018). The change will force registered nurses to
undertake further courses on the care of critically ill patients and learn how to vaccinate patients.
The increase in demand of nursing professionals in the country has forced the registered nurses
to take up more roles. Registered nurses are regarded as respected medical professionals due to
extensive training and application of their skills in a real world (Ulutasdemir, 2018). At the
moment, nurses are now required to handle emergencies without the involvement of physicians.
The pandemic has provided nurses with leeway to prescribe medication and fulfill other tasks
that were initially left to physician assistants or physicians. It is expected that the steep growth of
nurses in the country is expected to remain at 19 percent until 2026.
Another recent change that has affected the roles and responsibilities of registered nurses
is the advancements in information technology and the growth of the internet. Nurses are
expected to offer telemedicine services and utilize advanced patient management records
systems in order to avoid unforeseen medical errors and emergencies at the care facility
(Boxwell, 2010). The advancement in technology has enabled nurses to collect and store vast
amounts of patient data and enhance storage of patient appointment data. The trend is useful
since nurses are able to keep accurate patient records and prevent unauthorized access of patient
data. The change has created other positions for the professionals such as clinical informatics
coordinator, clinical analyst, and nursing informatics specialist.
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Another change affecting the registered nurse profession is the rise in the cost of health
care. The rise in the cost is attributable by increase in insurance premiums for health policies and
emergency of many life threatening illnesses. The increase in cost has forced many nurses to
provide streamlined services within the patient cost estimates. In this case, the high costs hinder
the attainment of quality care from more experienced physicians thus forcing patients to consult
registered nurses on their health needs (Boxwell, 2010).
Another major trend that is shaping the roles of registered nurses is holistic care that
entails treatment of whole patient. In this case, registered nurses a