The nursing shortage: A status report

Abstract

Background and objective: A shortage of nearly half a million registered nurses threatened to disrupt health care services by the year 2020 as approximately one million registered nurses, born during the baby boom generation, were projected to retire. This predicted shortage would greatly affect the quality of patient care delivery. The predicted crisis drew the attention of stakeholders across the nation.

Methods: This article summarizes strategies implemented to meet the growing demand for registered nurses by various agencies and stakeholders, the result of those efforts, and future challenges currently facing the profession.

Results: Interventions resulted in a renewed interest in the profession of nursing. The total number of graduates from ADN and BSN programs more than doubled from 2002 to 2012. The number of master’s and doctoral program graduates more than tripled. Full time employment of registered nurses increased from 2.1 million in 2001 to 3.2 million in 2015.

Future challenges and implications: Limited employment opportunities for new graduate nurses as hiring has slowed, concern over the quality of nursing education across all program types, and the need for ongoing assessment and implementation of guidelines permitting nurses to practice to the full scope of their educational preparation and capabilities during an era of continued health care reform, are among the challenges faced by the profession. In addition, delivery of safe and effective care to meet the needs of an aging population will present many challenges in the future.