National Nurses Week: May 6 - 12: More nurses are Becoming Nurse Entrepreneurs

ANDOVER, MN, April 29, 2011 (Press-News.org) As the nursing shortage looms, more nurses are choosing to become nurse entrepreneurs. The nursing profession is made up of aging nurses. The average age of RNs in 2008 was 46 years of age according the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses published in 2008. It is also reported in "The Future of the Nursing Workforce in the United States: Data, Trends and Implications" published in 2009 that nurses in their 50s are expected to become the largest segment of the nursing workforce by 2012. This number accounts for one fourth of all RNs.
This group of aging nurses is the group that is typically seeking nurse entrepreneur opportunities. While there are nurses in younger age groups seeking to be nurse entrepreneurs it is the older nurses that are most likely to seek out this option.
Aging nurses are finding the physical demands of nursing, moving patients from bed to bed, repositioning patients, position equipment such as CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) machines, and performing CPR are just too physically exhausting. Physical exertion is typically performed by nurses 200 times per eight hour shift (http://www.uvu.edu/csh/nursing/consider/physical.html) Nurses are also required to work rotating shifts, weekends, and holidays throughout their careers. Many nurses find that they are not able to tolerate this the longer they are nurses. These issues along with lack of respect are causing nurses to seek options that are less stressful, offer more flexibility, and greater control.
Nurse opportunities being explored by these aging nurses include legal nurse consulting, nurse case management, life care planning, starting a nurse staffing agency, starting a home care company, and independent nurse contractors. While there is an endless number of the possibilities for a nurse wanting to be a nurse entrepreneurs the above opportunities are some of the most popular options.
"One of the positive benefits of nurses becoming nurse entrepreneurs is being able to keep all their knowledge and expertise available!" said LeaRae Keyes, RN, BSN, PHN, CCM, Executive Director, Nurse Entrepreneur Network. Nurses in their Fifties have between twenty and thirty years of experience. It is important to capture this experience and keep it within the nursing profession as a whole.
National Nurses Week is a perfect time to focus on the growing number of nurse entrepreneurs. These nurse entrepreneurs are continuing to contribute their knowledge and expertise to benefit patients.

The Nurse Entrepreneur Network is a company focused on providing nurses with ideas on the different options for nurse entrepreneurs, getting started in business, and sales and marketing ideas for nurse entrepreneurs.