5 Reasons for Nursing Shortage Trends

Nursing professionals make up the largest workforce within the healthcare industry, numbering nearly 4.7 million in the U.S. alone. However, many facilities are struggling to recruit and retain enough clinicians to provide safe, high-quality care. If you’re a healthcare administrator, you may be asking yourself: What are the reasons for nursing shortages and what can my team do to develop a stable, robust nursing workforce?

We’ll review the history of nursing shortages in the U.S. and introduce some startling statistics highlighting the state of the nursing workforce. We’ll also review some of the main causes of staffing shortages, with tips for healthcare leaders looking to improve their staffing strategies.

What Are Nursing Shortages?

Nursing shortages occur when the demand for clinicians exceeds the local supply, resulting in longer wait times at facilities, diminished quality of care, and overworked nursing professionals. When the number of nurses leaving the profession exceeds those who enter, staffing deficits worsen.

How Long Have There Been Nursing Shortages?

The U.S. has experienced periodic nursing shortages since the profession was first established in the mid 1800s. War, pandemic, economic recession, low pay, and poor working conditions were cited as the biggest reasons for nursing shortages prior to the start of the 21st century. Experts cite similar causes for nursing shortages today.

It’s also important to note that the nursing profession has predominantly consisted of White, female nurses since the days of Florence Nightingale. However, the profession has gotten much more diverse and nearly 34% of today’s nurses come from diverse backgrounds, which almost matches the 40% of U.S. citizens who identify as people of color. Also, data shows that the male nursing workforce has grown by over 59% in the last 10 years. Despite notable improvements in workforce diversity, nursing shortages still persist.

The moral distress and burnout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic also exposed additional staffing challenges that had previously gone unrecognized. These staffing troubles have lingered long after the height of the pandemic.

Nursing Shortage Statistics

IntelyCare’s Nursing Trends Study revealed that 77% of surveyed nursing professionals were actively looking for a new nursing job and 45% were looking to leave the profession altogether. In addition:

• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce predicts an average of 193,100 RN vacancies each year through 2032.
• The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) projects a shortage of over 63,720 full-time RNs by 2030.
• The World Health Organization predicts that the global nursing shortage will exceed 4.5 million nurses by 2030.

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has described the worldwide nurse staffing crisis as a “global health emergency.” If the reasons for nursing shortages are left unaddressed, the ICN predicts harmful consequences for facilities, patients, and the nurses who remain.

Negative Effects of Nursing Shortages

When organizations experience staffing shortages, nurses who choose to stay at the bedside are expected to take on a heavier workload. This can significantly impact patient care and the nursing professionals who provide it. Here are just a few outcomes that can result:

• More medical errors
• Higher patient morbidity and mortality
• Lower nurse job satisfaction
• Greater burnout and compassion fatigue
• Increased nurse turnover

What Are the Major Reasons for the Nursing Shortages? 5 Key Trends

To address your team’s staffing challenges, you’ll need to identify the reasons for nursing shortages in your facility. Below, we’ll outline five of the most influential factors contributing to the global nurse deficit. We’ll also provide tips to help you build a strong, resilient team equipped to handle healthcare’s toughest challenges.

1. A Nationwide Shortage of Nursing Educators

A recent survey conducted by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) found that U.S. nursing schools had to reject 65,766 qualified applications due to staff shortages, space constraints, and budget restrictions. A separate AACN survey also identified nearly 2,000 full-time faculty vacancies in baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs across the U.S.

As nursing educators and clinicians continue to retire, schools need to be able to train individuals who are excited about the opportunity to provide care, not turn students away. This further cripples the organizations desperate for staff.

Nursing Shortage Solutions to Consider:

• Nearly 80% of nursing faculty vacancies (79.8%) are for positions that require a doctoral degree. By expanding access to these positions for BSN and MSN prepared nurses, schools can fill their positions with experienced clinicians who are passionate and qualified to teach.
• Nursing schools can provide greater financial assistance to those looking to pursue a doctorate degree in exchange for years of teaching service after graduation.
• According to the AACN, only 9.1% of nursing faculty are male and 22% come from diverse backgrounds. Organizations should encourage individuals in underrepresented groups to apply for teaching positions to not only reduce their faculty shortages but also improve the cultural competence of student nurses.

2. Poor Nurse Retention

According to one report, nearly 42% of CNAs, 18.4% of RNs, and 11.5% of ACNPs leave the profession within the first year. This percentage is even higher — 26.8% — for new graduate nurses.When asked why they chose to leave the profession, many nurses mention the significant physical and emotional demands of the job, high rates of burnout due to challenging working conditions, and trauma from workplace violence.

Nursing Shortage Solutions to Consider:

• Providing patient care will always require a significant physical and emotional investment from your clinicians. However, developing workplace wellness initiatives can help you support and empower your team.
• Instead of offering sign-on bonuses to temporarily alleviate staffing issues, provide financial incentives for the nurses who stay with your organization for years. This shows your clinicians that you appreciate their efforts and value their continued presence on your team.
• Incorporate technological tools into your care processes to automate administrative tasks and ease the nursing workload.

3. Inequitable Workforce Distribution

Facilities located in rural and underserved areas often experience significantly greater nursing shortages than those in urban, metropolitan areas. In some instances, smaller organizations aren’t able to cope after staff losses and have had to completely shut down their facilities. When facilities close, patients lose access to the care they need, especially in areas where getting high-quality care is already difficult.

Nursing Shortage Solutions to Consider:

• Ensure that your salary offerings are competitive. Even if your facility is located in an area where the cost of living is lower than it is in nearby cities, you’ll need to attract nurses who live outside of your immediate area to come and work for your organization.
• Some patients present to healthcare clinics to check their blood pressure, order additional medical supplies, or get a doctor’s advice on how to manage a health concern. Expand remote care offerings to help those located far from a healthcare facility get the care they need without adding to the clinician workload.
• Many reasons for nursing shortages in underserved areas are beyond a facility’s control. Advocating for rural workforce development initiatives at the federal, state, and local level can raise awareness of staffing concerns and give smaller facilities the financial support they’re looking for.

4. Increased Patient Acuity

As rates of chronic disease rise across all population subgroups, patients that present to healthcare facilities are older and sicker than ever before. Many facilities simply don’t have the manpower to provide the complex, attentive care these patients deserve, especially during seasons of high patient census. Without an influx of new clinicians coming in to assist with patient care demands, systems are stretched to the limit.

Nursing Shortage Solutions to Consider:

• Collaborate with a W-2 staffing partner to fill short-term scheduling gaps with qualified clinicians.
• Utilize varied care models to meet different patient needs. For example, you can use the team-based approach in a triage environment, the functional nursing approach in outpatient clinics, and the total patient care approach in intensive care units.
• Develop a robust nursing float pool to allocate nurses to the departments that need them most.

5. An Aging Nursing Workforce

Many experts consider the aging nursing workforce to be one of the most concerning reasons for nursing shortages. The median age of practicing nurses in the U.S. is 52, and nearly 25% of the nursing workforce is over the age of 50.

One-third of the current nursing workforce will be looking to retire and leave the profession within the next 10-15 years. Staff shortages in healthcare will continue to worsen as nurses continue to leave faculty and patient-facing positions without being replaced by younger clinicians.

Nursing Shortage Solutions to Consider:

• Facilities will need to develop robust recruitment strategies to replace the clinicians planning to leave the profession. Tapping into younger and previously underrepresented groups (people of color, men, etc.) is one way to bridge the gap between the number of practicing nurses and the number of nurses needed.
• Utilize a multidimensional hiring approach to appeal to different candidates. Posting vacant positions to nursing job boards, attending hiring fairs, and recruiting on social media platforms are just a few ways to broaden your search for qualified clinicians.
• Provide ample professional development opportunities to current staff to ensure that those who leave are replaced with employees you know and trust.

Find More Ways to Empower Your Clinical Team

Now that you understand the reasons for nursing shortages, you’re in a better position to support your clinical team. Want to develop a staffing strategy that can stand the test of time? Our team of clinical and legal experts has developed hundreds of free healthcare tools and resources to help you optimize workplace wellness, boost care quality, and improve staff satisfaction.