AACN Fact Sheet - Nursing Faculty Shortage (2023)

FAQs

What is the answer to the nursing shortage? ›

The nursing shortage cannot be solved unless higher education institutions train more nurses. Research and interviews with experts present ample evidence that capacity within higher education is significantly lower than what is needed.

Nurses can combat the nursing shortage by: A. Joining unions, which influence employers to provide incentives such as pay raises and free child care, thus encouraging the large percentage of nonworking nurses to return to the workforce.

According to a Special Survey on Vacant Faculty Positions released by AACN in October 2022, a total of 2,166 full-time faculty vacancies were identified in a survey of 909 nursing schools with baccalaureate and/or graduate programs across the country (84.4% response rate).

But now, nursing faces another shortage, and while the pandemic played a big role, the problems are rooted in a demographic shift: An aging population is increasing the demand for medical care, a generation of nurses is retiring – and as they go, not enough nurses are staying to train the generation taking their place.

Another idea for alleviating the nursing faculty shortage is to inspire students to consider teaching. Research has indicated that providing BSN students with insight into the faculty role, as well as providing teaching experiences and encouragement may help students decide to pursue a faculty role.

Nov. 1, 2022, at 4:16 p.m. Fueled by factors like employee burnout, an aging population and a dearth of training, states across the country are facing a familiar and common problem: a nursing shortage.

Advancements in modern medical care that prolong life. While this is a good thing, it also means that people are living much longer than before, and needing more care as they age. The nursing workforce simply isn't large enough to handle the older people who are living longer due to better health care.

Staffing shortages were the top reason nurses cited for planning to leave their jobs, followed by needing better work-life balance, the survey out Tuesday said. Nurses also said they planned to leave their roles because their mental health is at risk and they feel a lack of appreciation.

These include: Adjusting staff schedules, hiring additional HCP, and rotating HCP to positions that support patient care activities. Cancel all non-essential procedures and visits. Shift HCP who work in these areas to support other patient care activities in the facility.

Nursing faculty are in high demand across the nation.

What is the average age of a nurse educator? ›

The average age of an employed nurse educator is 44 years old.

California has the worst nursing shortage in the United States. It's predicted that by 2030, California will be in need of over 44,000 nurses. Other states with major hospital staff shortages include New Mexico, Vermont, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Arizona.

Projected RN Shortages by State

California tops the list with an estimated 44,500 deficit in registered nurses, nearly three times the deficit in the next shortest state. Texas, New Jersey, and South Carolina will lack more than 10,000 RNs; Alaska, Georgia, and South Dakota will each be short several thousand.

There are approximately 3.9 million registered nurses (RNs) in the U.S., and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that more than 500,000 RNs will retire by 2022.

Despite a growing interest in the nursing profession, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) argues that a lack of qualified nursing faculty across U.S. nursing programs will limit the industry's ability to meet the growing demand for healthcare.

In response to this national shortage, states have examined a variety of options to recruit and retain nurses. Specific policy levers include loosening licensing requirements, changing scope of practice laws, bolstering educational programs, and offering monetary incentives.

Ninety-two percent of all emergency departments have reported the problem of overcrowding, which can lead to an increase in the duration of hospitalization, performance of additional procedures, permanent disability or even death.

Reasons to Consider a Nursing Career in 2022

The nursing profession is one of the most rewarding, challenging, and respectable jobs out there. Nurses are vitally important in all sorts of healthcare settings, just as much as doctors and surgeons, and they often work in an even more hands-on way with patients.

Some researchers estimate that 1 million registered nurses will retire by 2030. In the past, hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and other health-care facilities have turned to staffing agencies during shortages.

What is the average age of registered nurses? ›

The main reasons for understaffing are: High turnover due to overstressed staff. Stress and emotional pressure for constant overtime and a constant need to keep working. A lack of available registered or certified nursing staff with adequate education and training.

Nursing staff report feeling “guilty” about not providing a good standard amid a chronic staffing shortage. A survey of 3,023 frontline nurses by NursingNotes reveals that 81% of registered nurses say they regularly leave essential patient care undone due to a lack of staff.

For nurses with time to plan, the prospect of an early or timely retirement with a properly sized financial portfolio and social security benefits appeals to them when they reach the current full retirement age of about 67 years or even before at 62 years (without full social security benefits).

There are many reasons that nurses leave the profession and there are many overlapping systems within healthcare. But, one study found that a staggering 17% - 30% of new nurses leave their job within the first year and up to 56% leaving within the second year.

Train and cross train existing employees.

Cross training is another efficient way to help employees gain skills in different departments and apply those skills to their respective tasks. Employees with wider skillsets increase their flexibility to fill different needs around the community.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), RNs earned a median pay of $77,600 in 2021, while nursing instructors and teachers at the postsecondary level earned a similar median pay of $77,440.

Is teaching more stressful than nursing? ›

From an outside perspective, teaching might seem like a much less stressful job than being a nurse or physician. However, according to a recent poll, 46% of teachers report high daily stress, which ties them with nurses for the most stressful occupation in America today.

Nurse Educator

This is one of the least stressful nursing jobs available. While the responsibility of educating the future generations of nurses is indeed tremendous, the work environment is definitely a lot more low-pressure, and the hours are reasonable.

The majority of nurse educators find their personalities quite well suited to their work, with relatively few having complaints about their fit.

There is no upper age limit to start nurse training but you should discuss any concerns that you might have about your suitability for training with the universities offering courses.

And the most popular question: Am I too old? The answer is that going back to school to earn your nursing degree is an incredibly rewarding experience; you're never too old to become a nurse!

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Salary. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists earn a median salary of $195,610 per year according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, making it the top paying nursing specialty.

MSN Salary Differences. Advanced education is often accompanied by higher annual salaries. According to PayScale, as of June 2021, nurses with a BSN had a median annual salary of around $86,800, while nurses with an MSN had a median salary of around $96,300.

But Nurse.org found that nurse educators, home health nurses, nurse managers, OR-perioperative nurses, and pediatric nurses reported the highest levels of job satisfaction.

What states pay the least for nurses? ›

Highest-paying states for RNs, adjusted for cost of living

As of 2021, Hawaii tops the list at 119.3, while Mississippi comes in lowest, at 87.8. Adjusting each state's average RN salary by its cost of living index gives us a potentially more accurate means of comparing where nurses get paid the most.

According to the report, as many as 13 million more nurses may be needed by 2030; the world's current nursing workforce totals approximately 28 million. The report explains that taking action to sustain and retain workers could minimize the shortage.

Staffing shortages were the top reason nurses cited for planning to leave their jobs, followed by needing better work-life balance, the survey out Tuesday said. Nurses also said they planned to leave their roles because their mental health is at risk and they feel a lack of appreciation.

Benefits of Special Class Status

Members of the NHS Pension Scheme who hold 'SC Status' are eligible to retire at age 55. In order to retire at age 55 a member must have spent the whole of the last five years pensionable employment in a health service scheme as a member of the special classes.

The answer is often a combination of common nursing frustrations (such as staffing and respect), a desire for a better quality of life, and burnout, the enemy of so many nurses.

Nursing shortages lead to errors, higher morbidity, and mortality rates. In hospitals with high patient-to-nurse ratios, nurses experience burnout, dissatisfaction, and the patients experienced higher mortality and failure-to-rescue rates than facilities with lower patient-to-nurse ratios.

In response to this national shortage, states have examined a variety of options to recruit and retain nurses. Specific policy levers include loosening licensing requirements, changing scope of practice laws, bolstering educational programs, and offering monetary incentives.

What percentage of nurses leave the profession? ›

More than one-third (34%) of nurses say it's very likely that they will leave their roles by the end of 2022 and 44% cited burnout and a high-stress environment as the reason for their desire to leave, according to a new survey by technology-based nursing hiring platform Incredible Health.

Due to the high-intensity nature of nurses' work, nurses become at risk of committing errors while providing routine care. Without adequate staffing ratios, nurses are responsible for caring for more patients, often leading to additional interruptions which is shown to increase patient safety errors as well.