NURSING SHORTAGE

WHY IS THERE A NURSING SHORTAGE IN THE UNITED STATES?

Mr. Altman asked me this during our most recent meeting, and I found myself questioning why there were so many job openings in hospitals, doctors' offices, and nursing homes across that country that weren't being filled. 

    SO I DID SOME RESEARCH...                                            and here's what I found

The nursing shortage is expected to intensity due to the large, aging population of Baby Boomers and the growing need for Healthcare. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, RN is listed as one of the top occupations in terms of job growth through 2029. About 175,900 RN job openings are projected through 2029. 

PEOPLE WANT JOBS... 
WHAT'S THE ISSUE??

NURSING SCHOOL ENROLLMENT IS NOT GROWING FAST ENOUGH TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR RN AND APRN SERVICES!

Nursing schools in the US are turning away thousands of qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs because of insufficient funding and resources to expand their programs to fit more students. These factors include the number of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical preceptors, and budget constraints. 

The AACN reported a 5.1% enrollment increase in entry-level bachelor programs in nursing in 2019. Although this is a step in the right direction, this increase is not significant enough to meet the projected demand for nursing services, including nurse faculty, primary care providers, and researchers. 

Two colleges stand out for their efforts to expand nursing student capacity; The University of Wisconsin and the University of Minnesota. Creating initiatives to better fund nursing programs will increase the number of BSN and AP graduates present in the US and decrease the intensity of the nursing shortage in the coming years.