Experts have been concerned about a significant nursing shortage for decades. However, due to the culmination of several key factors, like the aging Baby Boomer population, shortages are becoming more widespread. Through careful planning, Lamar University’s online RN to BSN program was designed to ensure the number of nurses in the area continues to meet the growing demand.
By the Numbers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing is one of the fastest growing occupations in the country. The demand for nursing staff is expected to cause faster than average occupational growth.
For example, there were approximately 2,751,000 nursing jobs in the United States in 2014. By 2024, demand is expected to increase 16 percent, resulting in the need for 440,160 additional RNs.
However, the demand outweighs the supply in many parts of the country. A December 2014 study, The Future of the Nursing Workforce: National- and State-Level Projections, 2012-2025, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services predicts that 16 states may face substantial nursing shortages by 2025. Those states — 10 in the West, four in the South and two in the Northeast — are estimated to have more than 108,000 nursing positions go unfilled. The study anticipates that the Midwestern states will be able to maintain a sufficient number of nursing professionals.
Contributing Factors
Several factors are likely contributing to this dilemma.
First, the demands on the healthcare system are expected to increase as the Baby Boomer population ages. There are approximately 75 million in this generation”“people born between mid-1946 to mid-1964. By 2029, this entire group will be 65 years old or older, which is the equivalent of one in five Americans.
The NIA anticipates that the Boomer generation will require more frequent and intensive care since “80 percent of older adults have at least one chronic health condition and 68 percent have two or more.” This is one of the leading factors in the demand for qualified nursing staff.
Second, due to the introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), newly-insured patients are entering the healthcare system. Prior to the ACA, nearly 49 million Americans, or 15.7 percent of the population, were uninsured. A 2015 study found that the total number of uninsured people has dropped to 9.2 percent, or roughly 29 million people. This is the lowest rate of uninsured Americans in 50 years.
Third, some nursing programs are unable to accommodate students interested in entering the profession. In 2012, nursing schools turned away nearly 80,000 baccalaureate and graduate nursing applicants. Lack of qualified faculty, classroom space and clinical sites were among the top reasons.
Lastly, almost one million nurses — close to one-third of the entire workforce — are expected to retire by 2028. This timing also coincides with the height of the aging Boomer population. All of these factors will combine to place higher demands on the system, increasing the need for nurses nationwide.
Time to Be Proactive
To prevent nursing shortages, schools must be able to accommodate the growing number of applicants as well as prepare its students to enter the workforce. Lamar University is proactive in this regard, especially since shortages have already been reported in and around Beaumont, TX.
The school has formed partnerships with several area hospitals, including MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston Methodist, HCA Gulf Coast Region, and Christus Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth. Nursing students are able to participate in clinicals at all four facilities, ensuring the opportunity to gather professional nursing experience across a variety of healthcare settings to meet the growing demand. All four hospitals provide scholarships for nurses enrolled in Lamar University’s online RN to BSN program.
Learn more about the Lamar University online RN to BSN program.
Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2015, December 17). Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
Chronic Disease | Chronic Disease Management in Seniors | NCOA. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncoa.org/healthy-aging/chronic-disease/
Colby, S. L., & Ortman, J. M. (2014). The Baby Boom Cohort in the United States: 2012 to 2060 (Rep. No. P25-1141). Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/history/pdf/babyboomers-boc-2014.pdf
Nursing Shortage. (2014, April 24). Retrieved from https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-information/fact-sheets/nursing-shortage
ObamaCare Enrollment Numbers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://obamacarefacts.com/sign-ups/obamacare-enrollment-numbers/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, & National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. (2013). The U.S. Nursing Workforce: Trends in Supply and Education (Rep.). Retrieved from https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bureau-health-workforce/data-research/nursing-workforce-trendsoct2013.pdf
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Workforce, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. (2014). The Future of the Nursing Workforce: National- and State-Level Projections, 2012-2025 (Rep.). Retrieved from https://www.njccn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/The-Future-of-the-Nursing-Workforce-Nationa-and-State-Level-Projections-2012-2025.pdf
