The healthcare industry has many possible career paths equally rewarding in emotional and monetary benefits. However, before you choose your career path, you must be aware of the possibilities and the demand for healthcare staff. Healthcare staff consists of several different jobs, each having its requirements and demands in the industry.
When choosing to go for a healthcare career, or if you are moving to Saint Louis, you must be aware of the opportunities available. The Covid-19 pandemic revitalized the importance of healthcare staffing around the globe, but is it the same for Saint Louis? Read here to learn about the demand for healthcare staff in St. Louis.
Is There a Demand for Healthcare in St. Louis?
The Bureau of Labor Logistics states that healthcare is a rapidly growing industry and will offer the most job opportunity in the coming years. Moreover, the healthcare industry's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is expected to be around 8% in the coming decade. However, is the same true for St. Louis?
According to St. Louis Post dispatch, there is an exceedingly high demand for healthcare staff in St. Louis, so much so that nursing schools cannot keep up. Moreover, not only is the demand increasing but according to ZipRecruiter, the average pay per year for registered nurses is around $81,000 and the highest at $164,000.
While there are many possible jobs in the healthcare sector, the most paying and in-demand healthcare jobs include:
- Registered Nurse Management
- Labor and Delivery
- Leadership
- Travel Nurses
- Care Management
- Home Healthcare
Additionally, the demand for healthcare staff in St. Louis is expected to increase continuously, as with most of America. According to Mercer, America is facing a significant shortage of healthcare workers. With the shortage expected to increase, healthcare industries are in dire need of trained staff. There are currently many reasons for the demand for healthcare staff in St. Louis.
Why is There a Demand for Healthcare in St. Louis?
While the healthcare industry lacks personnel across the board, the most vital healthcare staff n demand is mentioned below.
Shortage of Physicians
The most problematic staff shortage that St. Louis healthcare is that in physicians. Most physicians enter specialized fields for higher-paying jobs and more control over their schedules. Moreover, most physicians are going towards retirement in the next decade. According to the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), there will be a shortage of around 122,000 physicians around America.
The highest demand for healthcare staff in St. Louis is currently in primary care physicians who practice internal medicine. However, the lack of qualified and experienced workers is an issue yet to be tackled. Hence, most healthcare industries have decided to fill the shortage of physicians using entire consisting of assistants and nurses.
Shortage of Nurses
According to BLS, the demand for nurses around the country will increase much faster than in other professions. The demand for nurses in the country will exceed more than 20,000 annually until 2026. This is primarily due to the state’s increased staff turnover rates. According to the Missouri Hospital Association, there was an increase of 20% in registered nurse vacancies, the highest seen in the past two decades.
Of the 8500 working in Chesterfield-based hospitals,s, 260 choose to quit each month. The same is seen across the state in clinics in Missouri. Simultaneously, there has been a steady increase in travel nurses across the state.
Shortage of Healthcare Instructors
A big part of the current and future healthcare staff are healthcare instructors at nursing universities; however, due to the lack of such instructors and education centers. According to the AACN report, one of the main reasons for the shortage of health staff is that even though students are enrolling in nursing programs, most fail to get the required teaching. Moreover, due to the high educational requirement of healthcare staff, high-degree education at a Master’s level is required.
Abundance of Patients
Other than the demand for healthcare staff increasing due to a shortage of abled workers, another reason is the influx of patients. While not necessarily bad, there are not enough workers to tackle the number of patients entering hospitals daily.
Advances in the healthcare sector included novelty medicine, better research, and awareness programs that have allowed people to live healthier and longer lives. While this is an excellent advancement for the healthcare sector, there are more patients to cater to.
Moreover, many people will reach retirement age in the next decade. According to the American Hospital Association, an estimated three million people will retire in America yearly. This, coupled with the population rate of St Louis, which is increasing at a steady 0.23 percent, means that there will be more patients to cater to.
Moreover, the increase in technological advancements means that professionals familiar with these technologies and their operations are required, increasing the skill requirements for healthcare staff.
How Is the Demand for Healthcare Staff in St. Louis Being Met?
Many strategies have been implemented in St. Louis to help tackle the industry's growing demand. These strategies include:
- Increasing public health knowledge to help people live a healthier lifestyle.
- Online education platforms for healthcare degrees and certifications.
- Improving Healthcare staff unions to allow healthcare workers to voice their concerns and improve their working environment.
- Healthcare staff recruitment agencies help with short-term and long-term employment of healthcare staff in an industry that needs them.
Grab Your Opportunity Today
To counter the increasing demand for healthcare staff in St. Louis, Interim Healthcare aims to provide a solution by helping industries needing trained professionals. Moreover, Interim Healthcare understands the importance of giving healthcare staff more control of their opportunities. Hence, it allows flexible working hours to work however many shifts you want.
Moreover, Interim Healthcare help educates caregivers and healthcare professionals to gain the required knowledge required to improve their opportunities in the healthcare industry.
Contact Interim Healthcare at (636) 717-9292 or visit the office at Westpark Center.
