On April 23, 2003, Marilyn Biviano, Ph.D., made a presentation in the Web-Assisted Audioconference entitled The Nursing Crisis: Improving Job Satisfaction and Quality of Care.
This is the text version of Dr. Biviano's slide presentation. Select to access the PowerPoint® slides (1.6 MB).
Marilyn Biviano, Ph.D.
Director
National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
Health Resources and Services Administration
The Nursing Crisis: Improving Job Satisfaction and Quality of Care
Marilyn Biviano, Ph.D., Director
National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
Health Resources and Services Administration
Slide contains 4 pictures: a nurse greeting a man in a wheelchair on his front porch, two health care professional looking at a computer screen, a team of health care professionals posing for a picture on the steps of their building, and Marilyn Biviano.
Projections of Supply and Requirements for Full-time Equivalent RNs: 2000-2020
Slide contains a graph that shows the following: Based on current trends, projected demographics, and a moderate growth in demand for RNs, HRSA estimates there was a 6 percent shortage of RNs in the year 2000 and, if the underlying issues are not addressed, the shortage is projected to reach 800,000 nurses in 2020 (a shortfall of 29 percent in 2020). While the shortage is of serious concern now, it is projected to grow even more rapidly starting around 2010.
Source: HRSA, BHPr, Projected Supply, Demand and Shortages of Registered Nurses: 2000-2020.
Between 2000 and 2020, State wide shortages of RNs will increase
Slide contains two images of the United States. The first image shows that in 2000, 30 States were estimated to have shortages. States estimated NOT to have shortages in 2000: Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The District of Columbia also was not shown to have a shortage.
The second image shows that by 2020, the number of States estimated to have shortages will grow to 46. States estimated NOT to have shortages in 2020: Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Vermont.
Source: HRSA, BHPr, Projected Supply, Demand and Shortages of Registered Nurses: 2000-2020.
The aging of the population will have a major impact on the demand for RNs
Slide contains a graph showing the "Population Projections 65 to 84 and 85 and over: 2000 to 2050." The graph shows the tremendous growth in the older population over the next 50 years:
Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census.
The RN Workforce has a Declining Proportion of Young Nurses and an Increasing Proportion of Nurses Nearing Retirement Age
Slide contains a graph of the Age Distribution of RNs: 1980, 2000, and 2020 Projected.
In 1980, the most typical age of a nurse was in the mid-20's.
In 2000, 20 years later, the most typical age of a nurse was between 40 and 49.
Based on current trends, the projected age for nurses in 2020, is between 49 and 59.
The graph also shows the declining proportions of RNs in the younger age categories in 2000 and 2020.
In summary, too few young people are entering the nursing workforce and many, many nurses are and will be retiring over the next 20 years.
Source: HRSA, BHPr, The National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses 1980-2000 and Projected Supply, Demand and Shortages of Registered Nurses: 2000-2020.
RN Supply Trends: U.S. Graduates
Slide contains a chart that illustrates the recent trends in nursing school graduates. Between 1996 and 2000, there has been a decline in graduates from all three educational paths—diploma, bachelors degree, and associate degree. Specifically, since 1995, there has been a significant reduction in the number of U.S. RN graduates: Associate Degree (30 percent), Diploma (66 percent), BSN (23 percent), and Total (31 percent).
Source: Unpublished Data from the National League of Nursing.
Alternative careers offering higher salaries reduce the number of students choosing nursing
Slide contains a chart that illustrates that the annualized earnings of elementary school teachers are higher than registered nurses from the early 1980s through 2000. Salaries for elementary school teachers are an attractive alternative to being a registered nurse.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey.
RNs in nursing homes and hospitals report the least job satisfaction
Slide contains a bar graph of the "Percent of RNs Who Are Satisfied in Their Jobs, by Employment Setting, 2000." The graph shows that job satisfaction is relatively low across employment settings—about 20 to 35 percent of nurses are unsatisfied with their nursing job. The lowest job satisfaction is reported by nurses working in hospitals and nursing homes, where the sickest and most needy patients are.
Source: HRSA, BHPR, National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses: 2000.
Current as of July 2003
Internet Citation
The Nursing Crisis: Improving Job Satisfaction and Quality of Care. Text Version of a Slide Presentation at a Web-assisted Audioconference. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/ulp/workforctel/sess1/bivianotxt.htm
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