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Nursing Shortage Reaches Record Levels

National Nurses Week will emphasize the growing demand for registered nurses, especially with reports forecasting a shortage of 1 million RNs by 2011. The American Nurses Association will be celebrating National Nurses Week on May 6 through May 12 – their 2008 theme: "Nurses: Making a Difference Every Day." Organizations, including Allsup, which represents people nationwide for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, are helping to observe this special occasion and to recognize the important role of nurses. More than 3 million RNs will be employed in 2016, an increase of 20% from more than 2.5 million in 2006, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A combination of job growth, nurses retiring and leaving the profession, and fewer new nurses is expected to yield a shortage of more than 1 million RNs by the end of this decade. But there’s no need to look to the future for a shortage. The American Hospital Association reported in mid-2007 that more than 5,000 community hospitals nationwide already have a need for 116,000 RNs to fill current job openings. Nurses work in an expansive variety of positions and workplaces to improve healthcare in the United States. "Today’s nurses make the ultimate sacrifice on a daily basis to provide expert care during times of disaster and crisis," says ANA President Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR. During National Nurses Week, the ANA and other organizations will recognize the valuable service nurses provide to the community through their courage, heroic acts and commitment to quality care despite the increasing challenges facing healthcare.