According to the US Census, by 2030 all members of the Baby Boomer generation will be 70 years and older. As this large segment of the population ages and starts to utilize more medical care, many predict this will increasingly burden and stress the healthcare industry. Chris Caulfield, RN, NP-C, our Co-Founder and Chief Nursing Officer, details the ways in which the aging population will impact the nursing profession, and how he anticipates the nursing field will adapt.
If nurses are to remain in the profession, and patients are to receive adequate care, facilities need to find new ways to manage their workforce.
One innovative change currently underway is the emergence of the gig economy in the healthcare space. The gig economy – and gig work – fosters the freedom and flexibility for nurses to build their own schedule. Accepting shift opportunities via staffing apps is much like an Uber driver accepting requests from a user looking for a ride. This model allows nurses to build their work schedule around their own personal schedule, not the other way around, and be able to decide for themselves if they want to work overtime or cut back on shifts to take care of their own health.
Read Chris’s full article here.