Nursing in the 2050s

Scientific and technological developments in the twenty-first century cause a rapid change in all aspects of life. Changes in demographic structure and living standards, environmental changes, social and political changes and the globalization inevitably continue to have significant effects on individuals, societies and professions.


While the experienced changes have positive effects on human health, they also bring negative effects. New discoveries and gene technology positively affect human health. However, there is no doubt that problems such as global warming, acid rain, nuclear pollution, cancers and earthquakes will adversely affect human health. Such problems will cause major changes in healthcare services as they directly affect the individual.


Electronic systems will increase the effectiveness of the diagnosis and treatment of diseases day by day and speed up the process. Patients will regain health at home and receive consultancy services outside the hospital environment with tele-medicine and tele-health applications.


It is predicted that the future "Nursing" profession will be very different from today, that there will be significant changes in the health and care needs of individuals with developing science and technology, especially with the advances in the field of genetics, the "Nursing" profession will be reshaped and thus there will be innovations in the roles and functions of nurses.


For this purpose, it is an indispensable way to structure "Nursing" education in a way to meet changing health and care needs and to integrate it with technology. It is recommended that countries establish a "future committee" consisting of nurse leaders, encourage PhD programs and determine future strategy plans. In the future, it is predicted that the quality of nursing care will increase and nurses will have more say on their profession.


The nurses stated that as a result of the increase in worldwide consumption, economic and energy problems will increase, biological wars will begin, water resources will be exhausted, and that in the coming years, stem cell and gene studies will increase in the field of health, as well as mental health problems and chronic diseases will increase and different types of diseases will occur. In the nursing profession, it is estimated that the demand for graduate programs will increase, new areas of specialization will arise, robots can provide care to patients and there will be gender equality in the profession.


Nurses should be prepared for the future as of today; must be able to shape their professional future with various strategies, must be able to turn the changes in their favor, and must develop themselves to meet the health and care needs of the coming years.