Health care is always evolving — and nursing right alongside it. From new opportunities to cutting-edge technologies, today’s nurses are navigating a landscape of unprecedented change. But what does the future hold?
Let’s explore the top 10 trends defining the nursing profession in 2025.
1. Growing Job Opportunities for Registered Nurses (RNs) in Various Settings and Specialties
The numbers point to a continued abundance of job openings for nurses:
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 6% job growth for registered nurses from 2023 through 2033, faster than the average for all occupations. This is expected across most health care settings, including hospitals, outpatient care centers, and residential care facilities. On average, about 194,500 registered nurse job openings are expected annually during that same period, mostly due to retirement and the need to replace workers who transfer into other career fields.
- Much of the nursing workforce is ready to retire. The latest National Nursing Workforce Survey showed that 28% of the workforce plans to retire by 2027.
Besides a retiring nursing workforce, one of the other reasons for nursing job growth in the U.S. is the aging population. The Population Reference Bureau analyzed the latest census data and found that by 2050, the total population share in the U.S. of people 65 and older will increase from 17% to 23%.
The U.S. Census Bureau reported in 2023 that the U.S. median age increased to nearly 40 years old and will likely continue to rise. An older population means an increased need for geriatric care as well as for people suffering from chronic diseases and comorbidities.
2. Increasing Need for Virtual Nurses
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of virtual nursing. As demand for skilled nurses grows, the virtual model is emerging as a way to enhance the nursing workforce and improve patient care. McKinsey estimates that expanding virtual care adoption across all patient groups could replace more than 50 million in-person visits each year.
“Now, patients have increased access to general and specialized care from the comfort of their home or residence,” says Michele McMahon, DNP, associate dean of Purdue Global’s School of Nursing. “There is an opportunity for nurses to seek remote or telehealth positions. As technology continues to advance, the need for nursing support will grow.”
This will require that health care professionals, such as nurses, get specific education and training on managing telehealth technology as well as “how to clinically navigate a remote consultation,” according to an article in the journal Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice.
Additionally, the increase in telehealth visits raises security and privacy concerns for all health care providers. Nurses who provide telehealth care must stay updated on the rules of informed consent and HIPAA compliance.
>>Read More: Telemedicine, Nursing, and the Future of Health Care
3. Continued Focus on Nurse Well-Being
Mental and physical well-being have received a lot of attention in recent years. Many nurses experience stress and trauma daily, and these pressures can affect their mental wellness, job satisfaction, and overall quality of life. Awareness and education about self-care for nurses have become a priority in the field.
A joint study by McKinsey and the American Nurses Foundation found burnout and mental health challenges that persist among nurses, even years after the pandemic, amplify the difficulties of their high-intensity roles. According to a 2024 study published in the International Journal of Healthcare Management, 75% of nurses experienced burnout due to an imbalance of work demands and resources to mitigate burnout symptoms.
Research has shown that a nurse’s ability to handle stress is important for patient care. The International Journal of Nursing Studies published a systematic review of the relationship between nurse burnout and patient and organizational outcomes. They found that when nurses get burned out, patient safety and quality of care can suffer.
“Nurses' mental wellness is a hot topic in health care,” McMahon says. “Organizations and health care systems are maintaining their priorities with a major focus on the mental health of their nurses and associates.”
In addition to their own well-being, nurses are also needed within the mental health field. According to an article in the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, “Despite rising international needs for mental health practitioners, the mental health nursing workforce is underutilized.”
“Mental well-being as a whole has been brought to the forefront. It’s also a catalyst for the growing need for nurses to support not only medical concerns but also the mental health needs of our communities,” says McMahon.
4. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) Are Needed
APRNs are registered nurses who also have master’s or post-master’s level education in a specific role and patient population, resulting in an expanded scope of practice, according to the National Council on State Boards of Nursing. They integrate education, practice, research, advanced assessment, and decision-making skills to care for patients.
The BLS projects that the employment of nurse practitioners will grow 46% from 2023 to 2033, much faster than average for all occupations.
“With the growing shortage of nurses in the workforce, baby boomer nurses retiring, increased demand for health care with the growing aging population, and the decreased number of physician graduates, the need for advanced practice nurses to bridge the gap in access to care has never been greater,” says McMahon.
The public is becoming more comfortable with the idea of APRNs as primary health care providers. Research has shown that the quality of patient care provided by nurse practitioners in the primary care setting is equal to the care provided by physicians.
5. Nursing Wages Continue to Increase
There has been at least one positive outcome from the current nursing shortage — a continued increase in wages. The Medical Group Management Association reports that 34% of medical groups have budgeted a larger increase in nurse pay for 2025 compared to 2024, suggesting nurse wages are rising. The median uptick for 2025 was 4%.
This coincides with an analysis from NursingProcess.org, which used BLS data to project nursing pay through 2027. According to this research, RN salaries are projected to increase 18.69% from 2023 to 2027.
Additionally, nursing bonuses are being expanded. According to NurseJournal, this is also due to nursing shortages and the need to attract qualified personnel. These bonuses include:
- Sign-on bonus
- Referral bonus
- Retention bonus
- Performance bonus
- Educational bonus
There are also opportunities to earn more through shift differentials — additional pay for nurses who work shifts such as nights, weekends, or holidays — and overtime pay.
6. Advancements in Nursing Education
The American Hospital Association (AHA) notes that technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality, will help fast-track practice readiness and overcome staffing shortages in 2025. For example, AI can improve VR-based training by providing lifelike conversations with patients and customizing various simulated scenarios.
These advancements are in addition to the continued use of distance learning for aspiring nurses. According to the most recent Technology in Nursing Education report by Wolters Kluwer, 73% of nursing programs already offered online learning options in 2020. The report predicted that by 2025, more than 75% of nursing programs will have fully adopted distance technologies to mitigate a decrease in clinical sites.
“Remote learning opportunities allow the adult learner to continue to further their education while they work and care for their families,” says McMahon. “This provides options to the everyday working adult to pursue their personal and professional goals.”
7. Home Health Nurses Are in Demand
PHI projects the home care workforce will increase by 26% between 2022 and 2032, totaling over 738,100 new jobs — more than any other occupation in the U.S.
The Home Care Association of America (HCAA) says this demand is due to the aging baby boomer generation, many of whom will need home-based health, supportive, palliative, and hospice care. As treatments for chronic medical conditions become available, elderly individuals are living longer and seeking such treatments at home.
Despite the rising need for home health professionals, nurse retirements are outpacing new hires. According to the HCAA, this has created a shortage of nurses in all sectors, but the impacts are especially pronounced in home health care. The HCAA cites a report published in 2019 by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which found that children discharged with complex medical needs “spent nearly 54 additional days on average in the hospital due to the lack of in-home nurses to provide care after discharge.”
Plus, home care is popular. Surveys show that 78% of people 50 and older want to stay in their home or community for as long as possible. That number rises to 86% for people 65 and older — underscoring the need for home-based nursing.
8. Health Care Leaders Shift to Long-Term Retention Strategies
Some hospital leaders are using team-based approaches to attract and retain nursing staff for years to come by offering more flexibility and a healthier work environment.
For example, Trinity Health in Michigan pairs two RNs — one in person and one virtually — with a care partner, allowing nurses to “work at the top of their license.” Other organizations are affording nurses more autonomy at work, which can help maximize engagement by empowering them.
According to the AHA, health care facilities should also improve support for new-to-practice nurses, give them more clinical decision-making authority, and offer career advancement opportunities. The most forward-thinking organizations are the ones that adopt a continuous improvement approach, making retention strategies more responsive to their nurses’ changing needs.
9. AI Continues to Impact Nursing
While artificial intelligence in nursing — and health care in general — isn’t new, it has become so prevalent that the American Nurses Association (ANA) released a position statement on “The Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in Nursing Practice” in 2022.
In 2025, the ANA added a provision to the Code of Ethics about AI, machine learning (ML), and other technologies. It advises nurses to recognize how these tools may affect patient care and decision-making.
“We often see AI used in our everyday lives with chatbots or virtual assistants when trying to schedule appointments or triaging patients,” says McMahon. “The potential impact of the use of AI in health care is vast.”
According to articles in the journals SAGE Open Nursing and American Nurse, AI can be used for:
- Expanding access to quality medical care
- Improving medical records
- Improving the quality of services
- Clinical decision support
- Mobile health and sensor-based technologies
- Voice assistants and robotics
“Beyond using it for only diagnostics, it could potentially identify inequities by improving systems operations, lower costs by reducing some of the manual processes, and possibly predict outcomes based on identified comorbidities,” McMahon says.
A McKinsey survey found that nurses are cautiously optimistic about AI, with the majority hoping to see more AI tools incorporated into their work. About two-thirds say AI could be very helpful across many applications, such as patient education or improving productivity.
Unfortunately, the use of AI in nursing is not without some risks. For example, AI can perpetuate existing social biases based on its inputs and algorithms, according to the ANA’s position statement.
“We need to proceed with caution as we navigate both the pros and cons of the use of AI in practice,” says McMahon.
10. Increased Enrollment in DNP Programs
According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), enrollment in programs designed to prepare entry-level RNs held steady in 2023, the most recent year in which data is available. However, enrollment increased by 2% for Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs. That marks 20 consecutive years of continuous expansion.
As the AACN explains, DNP programs prepare nurses for practice at the highest level, such as a nurse practitioner. They’re designed as a practice-focused terminal degree, intended to prepare nurses to implement nursing research at the highest levels of nursing practice. The AACN notes that the demand for DNP-prepared nurses continues to grow as more employers recognize their unique, expert contributions in the practice arena.
Earn Your Next Nursing Degree Online With Purdue Global
Understanding these top nursing trends for 2025 will help you navigate this ever-evolving career field. If you want to expand your nursing opportunities, consider earning an online nursing degree with Purdue Global.
You’ll receive a world-class nursing education and the flexibility that working nurses need. Purdue Global offers an online RN-to-BSN degree, Master of Science in Nursing, postgraduate certificate programs, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. Learn more about Purdue Global’s online nursing degree programs and request more information today.
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