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 2026 and beyond.

1. Growing Nursing Job Opportunities

The numbers point to a continued abundance of job openings for registered nurses (RNs):

  • The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 5% job growth for registered nurses from 2024 through 2034, 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 166,100 registered nurse job openings are expected annually during that same period.
  • A significant portion of the nursing workforce is ready to retire. The 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey, published by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) and the National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers (National Forum), found that nearly 40% of nurses intend to leave the workforce or retire by 2029.

An aging general population is another reason behind the growing need for nurses. The Population Reference Bureau found that by 2050, the total population share in the U.S. of people aged 65 and older will increase from 17% to 23%. A larger older population means an increased need for nurses to provide care, especially to those who develop chronic diseases and comorbidities.

2. Increasing Leadership Influence for Nurses

Nurses were once widely seen as “doers” rather than decision-makers. Physicians made the treatment plans, administrators made the terms of employment, and nurses carried out their nursing duties. That dynamic is now changing.

Nurses are increasingly becoming nurse practitioners, educators, and administrators — roles in which they lead care teams, influence policy and operations, and make executive-level decisions.

The data supports this. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), enrollment in graduate nursing programs is on the rise:

  • Master’s programs: Enrollment from 2023 to 2024 climbed 4.8% — the first increase since 2021 — with more than 136,000 students preparing for leadership and advanced roles.
  • Doctoral programs: Enrollment in Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs during the same period grew by 2% (or 936 students), marking 21 years of continuous enrollment expansion.

Look for nurses to increasingly take on leadership roles in which they drive patient outcomes and system improvements.

3. Workforce Paradox: Recovery vs. Strain

While more students are entering nursing programs, there's still unmet demand at the front lines. This creates a paradox in which workforce pipelines are improving while short-term strain remains across many care settings.

According to the same AACN study, enrollment in BSN programs rose 4.9% from 2023 to 2024, marking a second straight year of growth. RN-to-BSN programs are rebounding as well. Enrollment increased 1.6% in the same period, reversing 5 years of decline.

But these gains in enrollment have yet to translate into relief for nurses. Hospitals and care facilities continue to face staffing shortages as they wait for graduates to transition into clinical roles. Until that gap closes, many care settings will continue operating under pressure.

4. Continued Focus on Nurse Well-Being

Mental and physical well-being have received a lot of attention in recent years. Many nurses experience stress daily, and it can affect their mental wellness, job satisfaction, and overall quality of life. Education about self-care for nurses has become a priority in the field.

Nurses consistently cited “stress and burnout” as a core reason for leaving the workforce, according to the NCSBN/National Forum survey. And nurse burnout is on the rise, the American Nurses Association (ANA) reports. This is detrimental to nurses, and it can also have major consequences for patients. The ANA found that when nurses get burned out, patient safety and quality of care can suffer.

"The focus on nursing wellness has reached a critical turning point in our industry," says Michele McMahon, DNP, associate dean of Purdue Global’s School of Nursing. "Health care organizations are actively restructuring their priorities to foster an environment where the mental health of nurses and associates is treated as a fundamental necessity rather than an afterthought."

5. Nursing Wages Continue to Increase

There has been at least one positive outcome from the 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, 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.

Employers and academic institutions are also offering more incentives, such as tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment, and sign-on bonuses, to recruit and retain more nurses.

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. Regulatory Advocacy and Policy Shifts

Policy changes are playing a significant role in how nurses practice. In 2026 and beyond, expect a wave of legislative and regulatory proposals that aim to influence everything from patient safety to operational costs. These include:

Policy is no longer background noise. It’s actively redefining nursing and care delivery.

7. Decentralization of Care Models

The epicenter of health care will continue to shift away from hospitals and move further toward outpatient and home-based settings.

This drives the need for in-home nurses. 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 states this demand is due to the aging baby boomer generation, many of whom will need home-based health care as well as supportive, palliative, and hospice care. As treatments for chronic medical conditions become available, elderly individuals are living longer and requiring more medical attention.

Plus, Americans increasingly want to “age in place,” a term referring to the desire to remain in their own homes and communities as they age rather than move into a care facility. According to AARP’s 2024 Home and Community Preferences Survey, 75% of Americans over age 50 would like to live in their current home for as long as possible, underscoring the need for more home-based nurses.

8. Impact of Accreditation 360 on Nursing Policies

The Joint Commission is the independent nonprofit organization that accredits and certifies more than 22,000 health care organizations and programs in the U.S., including hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics. In 2025, the organization unveiled Accreditation 360: The New Standard. The new accreditation manual not only dramatically simplifies the accreditation process but moves it away from a purely retrospective review to a proactive, ongoing assessment of quality and safety.

Nurses will be evaluated more on real patient outcomes, not just documentation. With the Joint Commission’s update, expect policy changes that place greater focus on patient safety, infection rates, and care transitions.

9. The Integration and Regulation of AI and Technology

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.

"As AI becomes a staple of the clinical environment, our focus must transcend simple implementation," says McMahon. "We are tasked with constructing a deliberate architecture of guidelines that safeguards the human element of nursing — ensuring that machine learning serves as a tool for enhancement rather than a replacement for ethical judgment."

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

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 must navigate this digital frontier with a healthy skepticism, ensuring that as we adopt these tools, we never outsource our professional judgment. The algorithms may process the data, but nurses must always hold the accountability that sits at the heart of our practice,” says McMahon.

10. Public Trust and Professional Standing

For 25 years, Gallup has consistently ranked nurses number one for ethics and integrity in its annual poll.

Nurses achieved their highest rating in 2020, with 89% of survey respondents rating them as having "very high" or "high" honesty and ethical standards. By 2026, that number has dropped to 75%. While nursing still ranks number one overall, that dip reflects broader changes in how the public views health care institutions overall.

It also presents an opportunity to increase the public’s confidence in nurses by strengthening care quality, transparency, and patient outcomes.

Earn Your Next Nursing Degree Online With Purdue Global

Understanding these top nursing trends for 2026 will help you navigate this fast-paced 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, nursing certificate programs, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. Learn about Purdue Global’s online nursing degree programs, and request more information today.

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