Nursing Shortage AARP Issue Brief

Abstract

The facts are startling. Already there are approximately 116,000 unfilled nursing positions in American hospitals and nearly 100,000 vacant nursing and related care jobs in our nursing homes. Home health agencies report an 11 percent nursing vacancy rate and a 72 percent turnover rate. More than 5,000 community health centers that serve those without adequate insurance are experiencing a vacancy rate of 10 percent for registered nurses (RNs) and 9 percent for nurse practitioners.

Without aggressive action, the problem will only worsen. In fact, a new report estimates a shortage of 500,000 RNs by 2025. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) presents a less optimistic view in its 2006 analysis, projecting a shortage of more than 1 million nurses by 2020. Regardless of which estimate turns out to be most accurate, the nation faces an unprecedented nursing shortage as 78 million baby boomers age and need more health care and as health care costs continue to rise.