SAN DIEGO, Nov. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The long-predicted
wave of retirements among Baby-Boomer nurses is already underway,
new data suggests from the 2017 AMN Healthcare Survey of
Registered Nurses released today. This news intensifies the
growing crisis of healthcare workforce shortages, forewarned by
recent projections from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics that
there will be more than 600,000 job openings per year for
healthcare practitioners and technical occupations over the next
decade.
The percentage of nurses planning to retire in less than a year
has risen significantly – to 27% in 2017, which is up from 16% in
2015, according to the AMN Healthcare RN survey. At the same time,
the percentage who say they will retire in four years or more
declined. The 2017 survey also showed that 73% of Baby-Boomer
nurses who are planning to retire say they will do so in three
years or less. This suggests that the retirement timetable for
Baby-Boomer nurses has advanced. The number of Baby-Boomer RNs
peaked at 1.26 million in 2008; since 2012, roughly 60,000 a year
have exited the workforce and that number is climbing, according to
recent research. By 2020, Baby-Boomer RNs will number about half
their 2008 peak.
'Perfect Storm' Hits Healthcare
"Nursing shortages are being felt throughout the country today
and they are expected to intensify as the retirement wave becomes a
more significant factor. Other macro trends, such as the
rising demand for healthcare services from our aging general
population and the improving economy, are creating a perfect storm
for what is expected to be one of the most challenging eras of
clinical workforce shortages," said Susan
Salka, President and CEO of AMN Healthcare. "As the largest
nurse recruitment and staffing firm in the nation, we have seen
this situation growing worse for several years. Today and in the
future, healthcare providers face workforce challenges that can
impact patient care and organizational success."
The AMN Healthcare research on nurse retirements closely follows
the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Employment Projections
for 2016-2026, which showed that the healthcare industry will soon
become the nation's largest employer. The BLS data revealed that
job openings for healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
will average 624,000 a year. For non-clinical
healthcare support occupations, there will be another 635,000 job
openings per year.
For Registered Nurses alone, there will 204,000 job openings per
year from 2016-2026, according to the BLS. These vacancies
can create a tremendous strain on the ability to deliver timely,
quality patient care.
"The retirement wave of Baby Boomer nurses will create a
particular drain on clinical expertise and institutional knowledge,
which are critical to quality patient care and organizational
success for healthcare providers," said Marcia Faller, PhD, RN, Chief Clinical Officer
of AMN Healthcare. "Our research, coming closely behind the
BLS projecting an astonishing number of job openings for nurses,
should be a wake-up call, because the healthcare industry will need
solutions to cope with this impending crisis."
Nurse Shortage Is Getting Worse
Comparative data from AMN Healthcare nurse surveys also reflect
a growing recognition from the front lines of healthcare that the
nurse shortage is getting worse. The percentage of nurses who say
shortages have worsened in the last five years grew from 37% in
2015 to 48% in 2017, while the percentage who said shortages are
not getting worse has declined.
Comments from survey respondents reflected their concern that
nurse shortages can affect quality of patient care.
More Nursing Leadership Wanted
As the healthcare industry becomes more complex and competitive,
leadership has become increasingly important to success, and nurses
have their own very clear preferences on how organizations should
transform leadership. An overwhelming number – 82% – say that more
nurse leaders are needed in healthcare. Nurses are somewhat
disenchanted with their leaders, with approximately half saying
that they don't trust their leaders, don't think their leaders care
about them as an individual, and don't believe their leaders
support their career goals.
However, while most nurses say that healthcare organizations
need more nurse leaders, 61% said they do not want to become
leaders themselves. Among Millennial nurses, though, a larger
percentage are interested in becoming nurse leaders.
Licensure & Education
Nearly seven in ten nurses said that a national licensing system
for nurses would be more helpful to their careers than the
state-by-state system. The National Licensure Compact is already
underway, and 26 states now issue multistate licenses, though the
most populous states are not part of the compact yet.
The percentage of nurses who said they won't pursue further
education rose slightly from 2015 to 2017, with nearly half saying
their education is over. Regarding the Bachelor of Science in
Nursing (BSN) degree, 16% of nurses in 2017 said they plan to
pursue a BSN in the next three years, compared to 22% in 2015.The
lower percentage of nurses interested in pursuing a Bachelor's
degree is concerning given recent research showing that better
educated nurses provide higher levels of patient care. Fortunately,
a much smaller percentage of younger, Millennial nurses (23%) said
they won't pursue further education, compared to all nurse
respondents (48%).
The biennial 2017 Survey of Registered Nurses, which
polls nurses on a wide range of career and professional topics, was
completed by 3,347 registered nurses. The survey can be
downloaded from the AMN website:
https://www.amnhealthcare.com/2017-rnsurvey/.
About AMN Healthcare
AMN Healthcare is the leader and innovator in healthcare
workforce solutions and staffing services to healthcare facilities
across the nation. AMN Healthcare's workforce solutions - including
managed services programs, vendor management systems, recruitment
process outsourcing and consulting services - enable providers to
successfully reduce complexity, increase efficiency and improve
patient outcomes within the rapidly evolving healthcare
environment. The Company provides unparalleled access to the most
comprehensive network of quality healthcare professionals through
its innovative recruitment strategies and breadth of career
opportunities. Clients include acute-care hospitals, community
health centers and clinics, physician practice groups, retail and
urgent care centers, home health facilities, and many other
healthcare settings. AMN Healthcare disseminates news and
information about the Company through its website, which can be
found at www.amnhealthcare.com.
Media Contact:
Jim Gogek
Corporate Communications
AMN Healthcare
(858) 350-3209
Jim.Gogek@amnhealthcare.com
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SOURCE AMN Healthcare Services, Inc.