Supply and Demand of Registered Nurses

Supply and Demand of Registered Nurses

In the early 1950s, a becoming a nurse was considered to be more voluntary than vocational. Nurses would make the beds, smile in the faces of the patients and check temperatures. This is not the case today, they play a major role in our health care and we should no longer take them for granted. Registered Nurses are the largest group of health care professionals in the United States and there is a massive shortage nationwide, especially in Texas. In 2006 Texas was reported to have over 146,000 Registered Nurses; this is only around 609 nurses per 100,000 residents, as opposed to the national statistic of 782 per 100,000. (Ogle, 2006). In trying to examine the causes for the shortages in Texas, we will look at the reason for the lack in supply and demand, as well as discuss how a nurse’s pay is determined and how their salary is structured.

Demand

Since the 1990s, there has been a growth in the demand for Registered Nurses in Texas. There is an expected 86% increase in demand of Registered Nurses in Texas between 2005-2020, in this time there is an expected increase in the supply of nurses by only 53%, causing a shortage. (Registered Nurse Supply/Demand Facts, 2006). One of the causes is the continuous increase in the population. Because Texas is bordering Mexico, there is a flow of illegal immigrants annually. Another reason for an increase in demand is that there is a greater life expectancy. Enhancements in technology and medicine has made is possible for us to lead longer lives as opposed to in the past 54 years, “from 68.2 years in 1950 to 77.8 years in 2004.” (Hodges, 2007). Along with an abundance of the older generation come the health problems that they acquire, such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and fragile bones. The older generation is more likely to be candidates for long hospital stays, home-healthcare and nursing homes, which all require Nurses on staff. Trends in Health Care financing also influence an increase in the demand for Nurses.

“Since 1990, an average of 85 percent of the population has been covered by some form of health insurance, making health care available to the vast majority of the population. At the same time, real per capita disposable income has increased steadily, growing 16 percent between 1990 and 1999, making it easier to pay for non-covered health care with out-of-pocket resources, thereby increasing the demand for such care.” (Projected Supply, Demand, and Shortages, 2002)

Supply

There seems to be a domino effect in the nursing position. The lack of nurses is causing the remaining nurses to work extra shifts often, which is causing the remaining nurses to re-think their careers. There is not enough Nursing graduates to cover the positions. There is a lack of nursing instructors in Texas, resulting in turning prospected students away. “Texas schools turned away 4,200 qualified applicants to college nursing programs in the 2003-04 school year”. (Ogle, 2006). Perhaps because of stress, the crazy hours, or maybe the pay is not always sufficient enough. More and more nurses are leaving their jobs for other careers, and fewer students are getting into the nursing programs. Something needs to be done about the supply of Registered Nurses in the state of Texas.

Solutions

In