Epidemiology

A nurse epidemiologist is a nursing professional who focuses on making sure that patients receive optimal care, but who also reduce overall infection risks and focus on prevention measures as well as on infection control and direct patient nursing. Epidemiology encompasses the identification of infectious disease; the vectors of transmission, the sources of contamination, and the patient population exposed or involved containment practices, and preventative measures to stop further transmission of the disease.
In the United States, the healthcare industry is booming. With improvements in medical records and information technologies, such as Big Data, epidemiologists will have more opportunities to analyze medical information and will be able to do so at a level not previously possible. Unfortunately, these developments are not expected to lead to large development in the growth as more number of epidemiologists needed.
The United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics expects epidemiologist employment to rise 10 percent between 2012 and 2022. Over that same time period, the national average for job growth in all occupations is anticipated at 11 percent. The primary reason seems to be that demand for epidemiologists originates at the local and state government level. Unlike private organizations and the federal government, local and state governments are governed by more strict budgetary limitations.
The growth potential of epidemiologists depends not only on budgetary concerns of state and local governments and the area of specialization, but also geographical location of the position. Certain regions of the United States are expected to grow faster, or slower, than the projected 10 percent from 2012 to 2022.