{"id":4645,"date":"2025-02-07T15:00:28","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T15:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/?p=4645"},"modified":"2025-02-18T15:46:06","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T15:46:06","slug":"nursing-shortage-by-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/industry-trends\/nursing-shortage-by-state\/","title":{"rendered":"A Crisis by the Numbers: Nursing Shortages in 2025 by State"},"content":{"rendered":"

Global consulting firm McKinsey & Company predicted in 2022 that the United States would see a shortfall of 200,000 to 450,000 registered nurses<\/a> (RNs) for direct patient care by 2025. It appears the firm was correct. Between 2022 and 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) noted a 1% increase in RN supply but a 3% increase in demand. The result was a deficit of about 295,800 nurses nationwide<\/a>, falling within the predicted range. The persistent nursing shortage across U.S. healthcare systems is more than a temporary crisis. It\u2019s a consistent, critical challenge that strains hospitals and other healthcare facilities<\/a> nationwide.<\/p>\n

As the demand for healthcare services<\/a> escalates with an aging population and ongoing healthcare reforms, the gap between the supply and demand of RNs widens, but only in some areas. Vivian Health compared data across all 50 states and the District of Columbia to perform a comprehensive analysis of where nursing shortages may continue to impact healthcare systems. Our detailed examination explores the depth of the problem, pinpointing states facing the most significant shortages and those anticipated to have an oversupply for a quantitative view of the national distribution of nurses.<\/p>\n

Nursing Shortages on a National Level<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A study published in February 2024 by the JAMA Health Forum<\/em> indicates the nursing workforce recovered in 2022 and 2023<\/a> following a substantial drop during the COVID-19 pandemic. It further emphasized that the workforce was on a trajectory to reach 4.56 million nurses in 2025, as previously forecast before the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Other studies aren\u2019t in total agreement. While the most recent projections do show nursing shortages easing, the gap between supply and demand decreases gradually over the 2027 to 2037 decade but doesn\u2019t fully dissipate.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) projected continued shortages of full-time equivalent (FTE) RNs on a national level. It anticipates a 10% RN shortage in 2027, dropping to 8% by 2032 and 6% by 2037.<\/p>\n

While the shortage wanes over the projection decade, a shortage still remains. The 6% shortage equates to about 207,980 FTE RNs nationally. Furthermore, the shortage spread is far from equal, with some states projected to have a surplus of nurses while others continue to face significant shortages.<\/p>\n

\"Nursing<\/p>\n

Projected RN Shortages by State Through 2037<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The HRSA generated its projections using historical data up to and including some 2022 data. Because the pandemic impacted the nursing workforce, this effect may only be partially captured in the data available for current projections<\/a>. These projections assume that previous patterns of graduation, employee departures and actively working nurses remain the same over the forecast period.<\/p>\n

According to the HRSA\u2019s projections, the adequate supply of RNs significantly varies by state. The following 10 states have the largest projected shortages by 2037:<\/p>\n