Are We Running Out of Nurses?

Across the US, the occupation of “registered nurse” sees more job postings than any other. 

An aging population needs more healthcare, which means more healthcare workers. Across the US, demand for nurses is increasing while nursing majors are less and less popular at colleges and universities. Given that this profession has far-reaching challenges ahead, healthcare employers will need smart, focused strategies to combat them. Because many different occupations and skills fall under the broader umbrella of “nursing,” understanding the undercurrents of those smaller trends can help create a focused strategy for a future-ready workforce. 

Increasing Demand and Emerging Skills

Across the nursing landscape, overall demand has increased 17% from 2021. That demand is driven, in part, by extraordinary growth in some nursing occupations, including Nurse Practitioner (105% growth), Nurse Anesthetist (104%) and Midwife (75%). On the other hand, a few specific occupations have seen a decline in demand, including PACU [post-anesthesia care unit] Registered Nurse (-51% growth), Intensive Care Registered Nurse (-41%), and Clinical Nurse Specialist (-37%).

The top-growing skills from 2020–2024 are likely to continue growing into 2025. Many of these are mindset and attitude based, and several others are related to finance and logistics.

The Need For Nurses: Which Pathways Are Available?

But even as this demand increases, the number of students choosing nursing majors is dropping dramatically—from a peak of 3.21% of all students in the class of 2021 down to 1.66% in the class of 2026—barely half as many, or a 48% decrease. g emphasis on diverse workforce recruitment and serving a diverse customer base.

As fewer US-born workers choose to become nurses, immigration is filling the gap. Nearly 2.8 million—or 18%—of the healthcare workers in the US have come from outside the country. 

Earlier this year, Lightcast experts released The Rising Storm, which explains the labor market challenges ahead as the US population ages. Healthcare is the eye of the storm; not only is it facing staffing challenges, but the need will intensify as an increasing number of older adults require more care. An analysis of immigration and healthcare was an important part of the research:

Foreign-born workers account for one in every four doctors, one in five registered nurses, and one in four health aides. (In some states, these numbers approach one third, or even one half, of workers in these healthcare occupations). The US currently employs 143,000 nurses from the Philippines alone (about 5% of all nurses) and more than 350,000 Filipinos in healthcare overall. 

Why is the US so dependent on the Philippines for its supply of nurses? The Philippines has over 110 million English-speaking residents, making it a prime source of immigrants not just for the US, but for several other English-speaking nations. That transaction puts the Philippines at a disadvantage: 70% of Filipino nursing graduates emigrate, and now the Philippines has its own labor shortage. The country needs 100,000 more nurses than it has. In 2021, faced with the nursing shortage at home, the Philippine government placed strict limits on the number of nurses leaving the country for other shores—a tactic that may spread to more countries and other industries as talent shortages intensify internationally. 

With both domestic and international talent pipelines for nurses drying up, Lightcast clients have found creative solutions to make staffing nurses easier. 

In southwest Pennsylvania, one healthcare organization is using retiring nurses to help train the next generation: Within a certain timeframe before retirement, a nurse shifts away from 100% patient care to a mix more like 70% patient care, 30% training younger, less experienced staff. This keeps nurses on the job longer because their work is less taxing, and it also gets newer staff up to speed faster, reducing the time it takes them to reach full competency. 

A large hospital system based in the Southeast used job posting trends to anticipate their own future demand for healthcare roles, and used social profile data to analyze education trends and forecast the future supply of RNs years ahead. The hospital also streamlined its workforce strategy across multiple locations, creating a holistic compensation model across various roles throughout the region. This allowed the organization to more efficiently recruit nurses in a market saturated with competitors— and the data provided clear recommendations for higher pay in hard-to-fill entry-level roles. 

The nursing profession in 2024 is characterized by complexity and change. While some specialties decline, others are experiencing unprecedented growth. The ability to adapt, develop new skills, and remain flexible will be key for nursing professionals navigating this dynamic landscape.

As healthcare continues to evolve, nurses remain at the forefront of patient care, adaptation, and innovation.

Thanks for reading On The Job. Be sure to catch up on our past issues, including “Skipping School: Teachers are Leaving The Classroom,” which is referenced in The Rising Storm, the latest research report from Lightcast. You can also subscribe to On The Job here. We’ll see you next time.