Increasing Trend In Graduating Nurses
A new report is showing that the number of registered nurses graduating every year is on a steep incline. Since 2002, there has been a growing nursing shortage in medical care. The number of Baby Boomers is rising and so is their need for medical care. Luckily, the trend in New York as well as nationwide is showing that the amount of nursing graduates is even doubling in some areas.
Data now is showing that the effort for these nurses is a result of the steady demand in the past few years. However, because of the high supply of nurses the new job market for them is becoming quite competitive.
We are also seeing that since the job market is getting more competitive, there is an incentive for graduating nurses to get higher degrees. The University of Albany shows that in 2014, for the first time, there was a slight drop of those earning two year associate degrees and a higher number getting four year nursing degrees.
The University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies did a survey of its in-state colleges which shows that in 2002 there were 5,128 nursing graduates. Compared to the number from 2014, that number is now more than double at 11,141. Even from 2013 to 2014 there was a 6 percent increase in graduates.
All regions of New York have seen a consistent rise in the amount of nursing graduations. Some have seen bigger spikes such as the Finger Lakes region (including Rochester), which saw 1,337 nursing graduates in 2015, up from 575 in 2005.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the end for the need in nurses. In the Journal of the American Medical Association, workforce analyst Dr. Peter Buerhaus stated: “Over the next 20 years, the average age of the Registered nurse will increase and the size of the workforce will plateau as large numbers of Registered nurses retire.” Since the demand for registered nurses is expected to increase during that time, a quite large and prolonged shortage of nurses is expected to hit the US in the latter half of the next decade. Let’s hope that the current trend of nurse graduates continues to climb.