19. Nurses with higher degrees are taking on more of a leadership role in hospitals. There are many different types of nursing degrees, reflecting shorter or longer times spent in nursing school, various specialties and other factors. Nurses with higher degrees are beginning to assume many hospital leadership responsibilities once reserved for doctors and other professions.
20. Hospitals are relying on Nurse Practitioners to bridge the gap in the predicted doctor shortage. Increasingly, due to the ever-growing gap between the number of doctors and the number of patients requiring medical care, such care is delivered by Certified Nurse Practitioners (ARNPs). Nurse practitioners are trained and certified to prescribe medications (with some limitations) to patients, as well as to conduct certain procedures. Many professional medical practices now employ nurse practitioners as part of their staffs.
