The coronavirus pandemic put a very noticeable strain on health care systems across the U.S. and across the globe, but it also brought to light an issue that’s been building for years: a shortage of registered nurses, which only continues to worsen.
The Arizona Nurses Association estimates there will be 100,000 open nursing positions across the country in 2022, with 500,000 seasoned registered nurses set to retire the same year. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics anticipates needing 1.1 million new registered nurses across the country in that same period.
In a fast-growing Arizona, the booming population only increases the demand for more nurses. According to NurseJournal, the state in 2018 counted 75,600 registered nurses for its population of 7.2 million. That’s just 10.39 nurses for every 1,000 people. The U.S. as a whole averaged 12.6 nurses per 1,000 people.
