As the growth of the number of elderly increase, so does the need for Licensed Practical Nurses - Essay Example

As the growth of the number of elderly increases, so does the need for Licensed Practical Nurses. The number of elderly requiring long term medical care is increasing. This calls for the need to enlarge the nursing home sector and increase job opportunities for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN’s). U.S. Department of Labor (1988) stated two decades back that there will be need for more LPN’s in the coming years considering the increase in the number of elderly and the disabled in nursing homes, and we see now that the prediction was accurate.

The same fact is supported by Labor Dept (U S) Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Dept. (U.S.) and Bureau of Labor Statistics (2010, p.423) which assert that “employment of LPNs is expected to grow by 21 percent between 2008 and 2018…in response to the long-term care needs of an increasingly elderly population”. This is because the elderly have greater chances of getting injuries, illnesses and other diseases because of which they need twenty four hour care that is only possible in nursing homes.

Also, the trend of moving the elderly to nursing homes is increasing because they often need full time care if they are suffering from disorders like Alzheimer’s disease due to which their attendance at home is not possible. So, adult children find it feasible to move their elderly parents to nursing homes and the trend is increasing due to which there will be need for more LPNs in future. Since, the nursing homes can provide them with high quality healthcare services which help the elderly to live longer and stay healthy, thus their demand is rising resulting in good job prospects for LPNs especially in rural areas.

In early times, the proportion of the elderly population was relatively low due to which the dependent older people were looked after at home. But since the advent of sophisticated healthcare services and the evolution of nursing homes, more and more elderly suffering from acute or chronic diseases are being admitted to nursing homes many of whom are those who will never be capable enough of living on their own. Hence, the need for more LPNs is also rising at the same rate. Primomo (2000) conducted a research regarding the nursing practice in Japan.

She discussed how Japan had realized a decade back that more LPNs will be needed in the coming years and what steps were taken to fulfill this requirement. She found that since the aging of population was expected to inflict significant effects on the social system, the Japanese government took measures to increase the educational level of nurses. Primomo found that the aging of population was the “driving force in nursing, nursing education, and health care reform in Japan”. Daniels (2004, p.37) states that because of healthcare services like Medicare and Medicaid, the nursing home sector has flourished significantly while increasing the need for more LPNs.

He states that social and political factors have increased the job prospects of LPNs outside the hospital settings into the nursing homes, and predicts that “70% to 80% of care” will be delivered in nursing homes in the coming years. Hence, we prove that the increase in the number of elderly is expected to increase the need for more LPNs because more and more elderly are being admitted to the nursing homes because of their illness, chronic disorders, and improved healthcare services. References Daniels, R. (2004). Changing practice settings.

Nursing Fundamentals: Caring & Clinical Decision Making. USA: Cengage Learning. Labor Dept (U S) Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Dept. (U.S.), & Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2010). Occupational Outlook Handbook 2010-2011. USA: Government Printing Office. Primomo, J. (2000). Nursing around the world: Japan- preparing for the century of the elderly. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 5.2. Retrieved April 4, 2011, from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Volume52000/No2May00/JapanElderlyCentury.aspx?css=print U.S. Department of Labor. (1988). Occupational Outlook Handbook.

USA: McGraw-Hill Trade.