HEALTHCARE »» HOSPITALS »» NURSING SHORTAGE »» Apr 05, 2021

Older people require considerably more healthcare services than the young. Nearly 80 million baby boomers are currently entering our Medicare system, bringing their health problems and high healthcare expectations with them. Nursing is the nation's largest healthcare profession, with more than 3.8 million registered nurses nationwide. Even so, for years there has been a shortage of professional nurses to staff hospitals, retirement facilities and private practices. It is estimated that 11 million new nurses will be needed in the upcoming years to avoid a further shortage. The reasons for our nursing shortage include an aging nurse population and not enough young recruits. Employment opportunities for nurses are projected to grow at a faster rate (15%) than all other occupations from 2016 through 2026. The average age of our nurse population is about 50 and many are close to retirement. The nurses working in today