Nurse practitioner, RN shortage to hit 362,000 by 2032

More than 1 million U.S. nurses are expected to retire by 2030 — far outpacing the projected number of new nurse graduates, according to research published Sept. 16. 

A study at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, based in Washington, D.C., investigated the growing skills shortage across 561 occupations. Among them were registered nurses, nurse practitioners and licensed practical nurses.

Between 2024 and 2032, an estimated 18.4 million workers with postsecondary education are expected to retire, according to the report. Only 13.8 million workers will enter the labor market with equivalent education and training, and during these eight years, the U.S. economy is expected to add 685,000 jobs requiring postsecondary education and training. 

The researchers predict a shortfall of 328,100 registered nurses, 42,100 licensed practical nurses and 33,800 nurse practitioners through 2032. 

Nicole Smith, PhD, lead author of the study and chief economist at Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce, said addressing these projected shortages should be a national priority. 

“Without massive and immediate increases in educational attainment, 171 occupations of the 561 we analyzed will face skills shortages through 2032,” Dr. Smith said in a statement, adding that “both teacher and nursing shortages are pressing concerns with far-reaching implications for the nation’s education and healthcare systems.”

The nursing shortage — which began in 1998, per the report — is fueled by high turnover rates, burnout from the COVID-19 pandemic and limited opportunities through employment-based immigration. Nursing program enrollments have also slowed in recent years, and nursing faculty numbers have failed to keep pace with demand, partly due to lower salaries in those positions compared with bedside care. 

“Median earnings at a nursing school for a professor with a master’s degree are about $94,000, compared with median earnings of $129,000 for advanced practice registered nurses,” the report found. 

These nine occupations warrant the most concern, according to the report: accountants, attorneys, construction workers, physicians, engineers, managers, nurses, teachers and truck drivers.

The post Nurse practitioner, RN shortage to hit 362,000 by 2032 appeared first on Becker’s Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.