How to Fix the Nursing Shortage
Thousands of qualified people want to enter the profession. The US should let them.
Help wanted.
Photographer: Karen Ducey/Getty Images
The US health-care system needs more nurses. Nursing schools aren’t producing enough graduates, young workers are quitting, and older ones are retiring early. Throughout the pandemic, widespread shortages reduced the quality of care and even cost lives. To bolster the workforce and better prepare for the next crisis, the US must invest in its domestic pipeline and clear hurdles for qualified international talent.
Nursing shortages have been a problem for decades and will persist well after Covid-19 subsides. Not only is the US population aging, but nurses themselves are getting older. Some researchers estimate that 1 million registered nurses will retire by 2030.