The States with the Largest Nursing Shortages

The need for registered nurses is expected to grow by 15% from 2016 to 2026, compared to 7% growth across all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Similarly, the need for licensed practical nurses (LPNs) is projected to grow by 12% and nursing assistants by 11% over the same period. With an aging baby boomer population, climbing rates of chronic issues like obesity and diabetes, and a growing emphasis on preventative care, will the healthcare industry be able to keep up with demand for registered nurses?

We analyzed future registered nursing employment as estimated by the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis in a 2017 report. We discovered that by 2030, the number of registered nurses needed in the United States is estimated to skyrocket by 28.4% from 2.8 million to 3.6 million. While most states are projected to keep up with demand, there are many places that are expected to have significant shortages in registered nurses.

California is expected to be short the most registered nurses (45,500), while Alaska is projected to have the most job vacancies (22.7%). Texas, New Jersey, South Carolina, Georgia and South Dakota are expected to experience shortages as well. Florida will have the most extra nurses (53,700), along with Ohio, Virginia and New York. Wyoming will have the biggest overage in RNs (50.9%), followed by New Mexico and Ohio.

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The staff here at RegisteredNursing.org looked at the projected supply and demand of registered nurses in 2030 to determine which states would have the largest shortages.

https://www.registerednursing.org/largest-nursing-shortages/