If you’re in the nursing industry as a registered nurse, nurse practitioner, nurse’s assistant or own a nurse staffing agency, you’re aware of what goes on in the field of nursing. For example, you probably know that there is a nursing shortage in the United States, the average salary of a nurse or how large the profession is as a whole
Nurses might be the blood and beating heart of a
hospital, but you might not know as much as you think though. Test your
knowledge with these unique facts and statistics about nursing that might leave
you shocked and surprised.
1. It’s old.
We have to start off our list of nursing fun facts with
some history. The first record of nurses dates all the back to 300 A.D. in the
Roman Empire. They worked in hospitals that eventually became relatively
developed. It wasn’t until the Middle Ages that nursing had many advances
and became more widespread.
2. Florence Nightingale shaped the profession
and healthcare.
One of the most famous nurses was a British woman,
Florence Nightingale. Not only did she save many soldiers lives, she changed
the way nurses were educated and how nursing as a profession was viewed by
society.
Specifically, she changed the way hospitals were
sanitized, how food was prepared and served and how to treat wounded patients
to prevent the spread of infection. This interesting fact about nursing is an
important one that evolved the industry.
3. Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing was
the first nursing school.
This nursing school started in 1873 based on the
principles of Florence Nightingale. Located in New York City, this nursing
school offered a one year program. Shortly after Bellevue Hospital School of
Nursing opened, New England Hospital for Women and Massachusetts General
Hospital opened nursing schools as well.
4. Nurses walk a 5k every shift.
On average, nurses walk four to five
miles every shift 12-hour shift they
work. That’s a lot of walking.
Compare that to the average person who only walks about
2.5 miles on average. Nurses walk double the distance every shift than the
average population does daily. This interesting fact about nursing proves why
nurses need a comfortable pair of shoes!
5. Half of the students studying a health
care related topic are in nursing.
Nursing students represent about 50 percent of
individuals studying some form of health care at a higher education level. This
is a direct reflection of the industry as a whole. In order for healthcare to
operate smoothly as a whole, there needs to be a large number of nurses.
This is beneficial for students going through nursing
school and nursing programs because of the large, supportive peer group.
6. Top jobs of 2018.
According to U.S. News and World Reports three of the 25
best jobs of 2018 are types of nurses. Registered nurses are ranked #18, nurse
anesthetists are #22 and nurse practitioners are all the way up at #4.
If you own a nurse staffing agency, you’re services will
continue to be of value to nurses and facilities that need additional nurses.
This is even a fact about nursing that you can use as a marketing point for
your staffing services.
7. Mary Eliza Mahoney was the first African
American RN.
For 15 years, Mary Eliza Mahoney worked in a hospital
before actually becoming a nurse. She started as a cook, then became a janitor
and did laundry. She was an unofficial nurses aid, which is what impacted her
to to become a registered nurse.
She was only one of the three nurses to make it through
the New England Hospital training program. Later, she went on to to co-find the
National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses.
8. There are three million nurses in the U.S.
The U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics reported
that there were about three million nurses as of 2016. This numerical fact
about nursing is shocking because the population of Jamaica is roughly the same
as the amount of nurses in the United States. To put this into perspective,
there are roughly as many nurses as people living in Los Angeles.
On a more global scale, there are over 19 million nurses
in the world.
9. The field of nursing will continue
growing.
Similar to the nursing fact about top jobs, the field of
nursing will continue to grow for the next decade. It is estimated the by 2026,
there will be a 15 percent growth of employment of nurses.
If you own a nurse staffing agency, this means you have
the opportunity to grow your business as well.
10. Nurses aren’t just in hospitals.
This nursing fact isn’t groundbreaking, but contrary to
popular belief, only 41 percent of registered nurses work in hospitals. Here’s
the total breakdown of where nurses work:
·
14%
skilled nursing home or assisted living facility
·
11%
home health care
·
4%
private practice
·
4%
community heathcare centers
·
4% VA
hospitals
·
22%
other
11. National nurses week is May 6 to May 12.
This annual week to honor nurses has been celebrated for
over 40 years. It even ends on the day that Florence Nightingale was born!
National nurses week was established to acknowledge the
challenging job of being a nurse and to let nurses know that their hard work is
recognized and appreciated. Learn more about
this year’s theme and events here.
12. Many nurses are employed through a
staffing agency.
Nurses work through a nurse staffing agency to help them
find jobs and new opportunities. If you own a nurse staffing agency, it’s
important to have the funding to can keep up with the rising demand for nurses.
Learn how nursing staffing financing and invoice factoring for nurse staffing agencies can help your staffing company grow!
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