Nursing Shortage Fact Sheet

Iowa Council Of Nurses Nursing Workforce Initiative

Iowa Nursing Workforce Fact Sheet

*Iowa Nursing Workforce Statistics:

• 38,359 RNs and 9,357 LPNs actively licensed in Iowa
• 86% of RNs with active licenses are employed, 83% in nursing
• 77% of LPNs with active licenses are employed, 72% in nursing

Using current statistics, 60% of actively licensed nurses will be over 50 years of age and may be retired by 2009.

*Based on 2001 data from Iowa Board of Nursing.

Nursing Education Statistics:

• Between 1993-1999, admissions to RN education programs declined 40%, and graduations declined 27%
• Between 1993-1999, LPN admissions declined 14%, and graduations declined 27%
• A fall 2000 survey of nursing education programs shows 49% of the current faculty plan to retire within ten years.

**Projected Vacancies:

** Based on Statistics from November 20, 2000 ICON Workforce Initiative Survey to 1,325 employers.

***Iowa Nursing Program Graduates

*** Iowa Board of Nursing

Major Factors Contributing to a Decline in Iowa’s Nursing Workforce

• Decreased pool of 20-24 year old population, down 27.5% since 1980
• More job opportunities for women

Major Factors Contributing to a Decline in Iowa’s Nursing Workforce (cont’d.)

• Work environment issues

• Rotation shifts
• Holidays
• Weekends
• Overtime demands
• Relationships with others

• Non competitive salary
• Teachers - $23,000 per year ($123 per day)
• Hospital Registered Nurses - $27,997 per year ($116 per day)

• Increased Demand due to aging population
• 1^st in nation 85+
• 2^nd in nation 75+
• Rural state

• Low unemployment rate
• 1999 - 2.5%, lowest in nation

Need Full Report? … Survey? … Updates? … Contacts?

• See Iowa Board of Nursing Web Site www.state.ia.us/nursing
• Employer survey data can be accessed at www.iowaworkforce.org

Recommendations

The following recommendations have been forwarded to Dr. Stephen Gleason, Director Iowa Department of Public Health, for consideration in the Governor’s Health Enterprise:

1. Establish an Office of Health Professional Development with mission of developing a workforce prediction model that is sustainable over time. Strategies should address:

• Recruitment and retention of qualified health care professionals
• Access to education for entry into health care practice as well as access to continuing education
• Design and testing of alternative health care delivery models

1. The Office of Health Professional Development would additionally support state and local initiatives to restructure workplace, improve working environment and improve employment conditions.

• Improve workplace environment

• Effective and efficient support systems for health care professionals
• Increased employee decision-making and autonomy

• Improve workplace environment (cont’d.)

• Processes to facilitate transitions in work environment and other major changes in work life; i.e. work redesign, mergers, continued employment for older health care workforce
• Appropriate health and safety protections; e.g. blood borne pathogen, infection control, and ergonomics
• Streamline documentation and reporting requirements that remove health care professionals from direct patient care

• Improve the services/products offered to health professionals/nurses

• Flexible benefit packages; e.g. health insurance for part time employees, retirement
• Improved lifetime earnings
• Career ladders

1. Consistent with both the missions of the Health Enterprise and Healthy Iowans 2010, ICON supports the Iowa Department of Public Health in moving ahead with action steps relating to workforce identified in Healthy Iowans 2010.
2. Establish scholarships and/or loan forgiveness programs for individuals who practice nursing in Iowa utilizing federal, state, and local resources.
3. Initiate collaborative action with federal and state agencies to ensure that documentation and reporting requirements are essential to improve patient outcomes and allow nurses and other health care professionals to maximize their time and expertise in providing direct patient care.