The nurse practitioner position is the number one best healthcare job in 2023 for several reasons. There have been nursing shortages in the U.S. before, but this one is different in many ways. I have already seen nursing shortages, first in the late 1980s and again at the beginning of this decade. Experts say the current nursing shortage is culminating in the largest deficit of hospital nurses at a time when the demand for their services is needed most. Baby Boomers are aging and need care; we are still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, which took its toll on the nursing field; and there are fewer high school students coming through the ranks to take the empty spots in nursing schools. So how do we address such a major societal challenge?
As the president of a university that offers programs for healthcare professionals, I see this challenge from a unique vantage point. Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where my university is located, also happens to be ranked number one as the best place to retire on this year’s U.S. News & World Report list due to high scores on the quality and proximity of health care for seniors. With new state-of-the-art hospitals in the county and a focus on healthcare, the need for nurses in our area is more dire than ever before, and I know Lancaster is not unique.