If you’re looking for an in-demand healthcare job in Rhode Island, you should consider a career as a nurse.

Rhode Island, along with many other parts of the nation, is currently in the midst of a nursing shortage, which is only expected to worsen as many workers retire and the healthcare industry continues to grow. Also adding to the problem is the inability of colleges and universities to increase nursing program enrollments as demand grows and faculty retire.

Nationwide, 4.7 million people are employed as registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants, and about 85 percent of these employees work within the healthcare industry. The United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates one-fourth of the 4 million expected healthcare job openings through 2016 will be in the nursing field.
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For the next six years, anyone looking for a Rhode Island healthcare job shouldn’t have too much trouble.

Healthcare has a long reputation of being one of Rhode Island’s fastest growing industries, mostly due to an aging population, medical advances and new technologies.

According to an article from the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, overall employment in the state is expected to increase by more than 55,000 jobs through 2014, with employment that year reaching 573,437 people, an increase of 10.7 percent from the 2004 employment of 518,145 people.

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