Addressing Arizona's Nursing Shortage: What Can Be Done?

The healthcare workforce shortage is an issue across America, especially with the aging population and mental health crisis. The problem has also been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which put considerable stress on the healthcare system and workers.

There is one state, however, that is being hit harder by the workforce shortage than others. The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis predicts that Arizona will have nearly 30,000 fewer registered nurses (RNs) than are needed in the state by 2025.

The disparity between the number of registered nurses required and how many are employed is bigger than in any other state in the country. This shortage will have a ripple effect throughout the industry, impacting the quality of care, longer wait times, and more.

Arizona’s nursing shortage highlights not only how dire the situation is for nurses but also the overall healthcare industry across the country. It’s also resulted in calls for more people to study nursing or further their skills through specialized programs, such as online family nurse practitioner programs.

Further postgraduate study can help current registered nurses in Arizona increase their scope of care. While it won’t directly fix the workforce shortage, specialized nurses like family nurse practitioners can help alleviate pain points, such as accessibility in rural areas.

What’s causing the shortage?

The Arizona nursing shortage is a complicated issue, caused by a combination of factors. Many of these factors, which are outlined below, are also driving the overall healthcare workforce shortage in the United States.

One of the biggest problems is that over 51% of the current nursing workforce is age 40 or older. The workforce is aging, with many considering retirement, and their numbers aren’t being replenished by new graduates.

Between 2017 and 2030, it is expected that about one million registered nurses will retire from the workforce. Not only does this lead to a huge decrease in employed RNs, but it’ll also significantly reduce the number of experienced nurses.

Beyond retirement, the nursing sector is also experiencing low retention rates due to unprecedented levels of high stress, long hours, and ongoing staffing shortages. This is leading to many nurses leaving the profession, and sometimes, healthcare altogether.

Studies show that workplace violence against healthcare workers has also intensified since the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses are being subjected to unprecedented levels of aggression, ranging from incidents of verbal abuse to physical assaults.

Workplace violence not only contributes to the low retention rates and emotional fatigue, but it also acts as a deterrent for students considering healthcare as a career path. New data shows there have been declines in nursing program enrollments at all levels across the country.

The low salary, combined with the poor working conditions, is also luring current nurses away from the profession. There are many other industries, even within healthcare, that offer competitive wages and are less stressful.

The impact of increasing demand

While it didn’t cause the shortage, there is also another factor worsening the situation: the healthcare sector is experiencing massive surges in demand. This is a multi-faceted issue that is only expected to grow over the next decade, too.

This increased demand is due to various reasons, including:

An aging population

Statistics from the United States Census Bureau report that the U.S. population is aging at the fastest rate since the 1880s. There are about 55.8 million people (1 in 6) in the United States 65 and older.

This rapid aging is a combination of two factors: the aging of the baby boomer generation and the increase in life expectancy. The aging population is not only increasing demand for healthcare services, but also causing a strain on the system.

This is because the aging population, especially those over 85 years old, typically lives with multiple complex health conditions. These conditions require more resources, experience, and expertise to treat effectively, increasing demand.

The mental health crisis

The world, including the United States, is also facing a growing mental health crisis. The World Health Organization reported that in 2019, nearly a billion people were living with a mental disorder.

Suicide also accounted for more than 1 in 100 deaths, and 58% of the suicides occurred before the age of 50. Mental disorders are also the leading cause of disability and can increase the risk of other chronic diseases, like diabetes.

This has led to an increased demand for professionals specializing in mental health, like mental health nurses. The increased demand also directly influences the nursing shortage by placing additional strain on the healthcare system.

This strain influences the factors behind the shortage. For example, the increased demand can lead to longer hours for nurses, which can cause burnout—leading to decreased job satisfaction and lower retention rates.

Addressing the shortage

Addressing Arizona’s nursing shortage and the greater healthcare workforce shortage in the US isn’t going to be an easy fix. Because the situation is caused by a combination of factors, it is going to require a multi-faceted approach.

The Arizona Board of Nursing has already taken action to address the state’s nursing shortage. They have launched a new grant program that will expand preceptor training programs at various healthcare institutions in the state.

This program will help facilitate the training of more nursing students, newly licensed nurses, and specialty nurses. This will help increase the number of qualified nurses and nursing assistants in the state.

While this grant program won’t completely fix the issue, it is a step in the right direction. More needs to be done to attract more people into nursing programs and support the current nursing workforce. Below, we’ve outlined a few other ideas.