Here is some information that most people may not know — the nursing shortage in our country is expected to dwindle.

For years it seems we have been told there is a nursing shortage in the United States, even though nursing continues to be one of the most in-demand professions today.

Mississippi currently ranks No. 33 in the nursing demand projections for all 50 states, according to the latest report from the US Health Resources and Services Administration.

The USHRSA projects that by 2030 the number of nurses in Mississippi will be 42,500, while the projected demand will be 35,300. That’s a surplus difference of 7,200 nurses.

The report estimates only seven states will have a shortage of nurses by 2030 with the biggest need in California.

Now I’m not about to tell a young person thinking about getting into the nursing profession to have second thoughts. In fact, I’m proud to say that my daughter has been accepted into the nursing program at William Carey University. She plans to be a third generation nurse, following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother.

The need for qualified nurses, however, continues today. There will always be a demand to treat those with sickness, and many registered nurses are advancing their medical knowledge.

A record number of nurse practitioners are now in the medical field.

According to a recent report from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the number of NPs currently licensed to practice in the United States has reached a record high of 248,000 compared to 120,000 in 2007.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the NP profession will have grown by 36 percent by 2026.

This increase is an important milestone for patients, as well as NPs, according to AANP President Joyce Knestrick.

“Provider shortages, especially in primary care, have become a growing concern, but the growth of the NP profession is addressing that concern head-on,” Knestrick told DailyNurse. “Couple that with news that NPs conducted an estimated 1.02 billion patient visits last year alone, and it’s easy to see why millions of Americans are making NPs their providers of choice.”

Approximately 85 percent of new NP graduates have been trained in primary care and nearly two out of three NPs entering the workforce have graduated from family nurse practitioner programs.

That is great news for rural areas like Mississippi where primary care may not be readily available or accessible due to a lack of doctors.

Rob Sigler is editor of The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at rob.sigler@vicksburgpost.com. Readers are invited to submit their opinions for publication.