In the United States, the rise of the Baby Boomers and the growth for the health care demand has escalated the demand for nurses and hence creating a shortage. This problem is enhanced by the fact that the nursing schools countrywide have not yet achieved a substantial capacity to meet escalating demand for health care in the United States. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the anticipated percent change in the Registered Nurses employment between 2014 and 2025 is 16 percent, which exceeds the average growth rate for all occupations with more than a double (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016). The projected growth of the Registered Nursing workforce was anticipated to increase from 2.71 million to 3.25 million from 2012 to 2022. The report compiled by the USR Healthcare indicates that the projected nurse shortage across the country is expected to reach 923,629 in 2030 (USR Healthcare, 2015).
The American Nurses Association released a report in 2014 that provides The Nursing Workforce Fast Facts. According to this report, 14 states were anticipating an annual growth of 20 percent or more. Some of the 14 states include Texas, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Arkansas, Idaho, Montana, and Washington. The study also revealed that Washington, DC and 22 states have more than one nurse for every 100 people (ANA, 2014). Regarding the rural/urban distribution of the registered nurses (RNs), about 15.7 percent of the RNs live in the rural areas where only 17 percent of the United States' population lives in such areas. Within a geographical location of 100 people, there are 0.85 RNs in Rural areas compared to 0.943 in the urban places. (ANA, 2014)
The problem of the nursing shortage is expected to continue because many drivers for this shortage have not been mitigated. For instance, the aging workforce and aging population have further worsened the situation. According to USR Healthcare report, the workforce expects a critical shortage ranging from 91,500 to 130,000 physicians and the demand for more registered nurses ranging between 300,000 to 1.2 million by 2020. To worsen the situation, about 2.8 million RNs and estimated 985,375 physicians are currently working, but almost a third of them are expected to retire next year.
The shortage of the nursing faculty and the medical education institutions contributes to the problem of the nursing shortage in the United States. Government and other concerned institutions need to focus on the elements that need to be addressed during the expansion of the medical education institutions. Inadequate clinical sites, instructors, and budgetary constraints are among the factors that need to be addressed to reduce the shortage. This is because qualified applicants are denied positions in most of the medical institutions because of these constants. According to the USR Healthcare (2015), "it is estimated that 75 percent of the current nursing faculty will have retired by 2020" (p. 12). Therefore, the stakeholders in the healthcare need to increase investment in the training of the nursing faculty so that they can replace the retired faculty adequately.
Another strategy that can be used to mitigate the problem of the nursing shortage is venturing into technology, data collection, and research. The stakeholders need to determine the potential for utilizing technological advances to leverage the capacity of the inadequate workforce. Concentrating on the data collection on the local, state, and national level can help in applicable planning for RNs. Regulation and legislation should be adjusted to facilitate more funding for nursing education and nursing faculty training to reduce the shortage.
References
ANA. (2014). The Nursing Workforce 2014: Growth, Salaries, Education, Demographics & Trends. Retrieved from American Nurses Association website: http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ThePracticeofProfessionalNursing/workforce/Fast-Facts-2014-Nursing-Workforce.pdf
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, Registered Nurses, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm (visited February 23, 2016).
USR Healthcare. (2015). America’s Nursing Shortage: It’s Real, and It’s Back. Retrieved from USR HEALTHCARE website: http://usrhealthcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/USrHealthcareFNL3.pdf
