Greater Immigration Can Alleviate Troubling Skilled Nurse Shortage
Immigration, always a strength for the U.S. economy, has the potential to fill a dangerous and growing labor shortage of skilled nurses. According to nurse.org’s 2023 State of Nursing report, “91% of nurses believe the nursing shortage is getting worse, and 79% report that their units are inadequately staffed.” And it’s not just nurses who recognize this problem. 90% of hospital CEOs report that nursing shortages are their most pressing workplace issue.
Burnout from Covid-19 is an important contributor to this problem. A survey by NCSBN (an organization of nursing regulatory bodies) found that approximately 100,000 registered nurses (RNs) quit in the two years following the COVID-19 outbreak “due to stress, burnout and retirements.” By 2027, “another 610,388 RNs reported an ‘intent to leave’ the workforce.” Over the next couple of years, approximately 20% of RNs are projected to retire or pursue other opportunities.
Despite all these people choosing to retire or leave nursing, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be “about 203,200 openings for registered nurses” each year, on average, over the next decade.
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