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BUSH ADMINISTRATION PROMOTES CAREERS
IN NURSING
Survey Shows Critical Shortage of Nurses
With new evidence of a growing shortage of nurses, HHS Secretary Tommy G.
Thompson and Education Secretary Rod Paige today launched a campaign to encourage
school children to consider careers in nursing and the health professions.
Secretary Thompson also released the final report of the 2000 National Sample
Survey of Registered Nurses, which shows that the average age of the nation's
RNs continues to increase and the rate of nurses entering the profession
has slowed over the past four years.
"We have a severe nursing shortage in this country and it's absolutely critical
that we encourage more of our nation's students to choose careers in nursing,"
Secretary Thompson said. "Secretary Paige and I both want students to realize
that nursing is an exciting and satisfying career that makes a difference
in people's lives."
"There is a growing national need for nurses, and we look forward to doing
our part to address the shortage of qualified nurses in this country," Secretary
Paige said. "By making students in America's schools and postsecondary institutions
aware of careers in the health professions, particularly nursing, we hope
we can interest these outstanding young people in filling the critical need
for qualified nurses."
Secretary Thompson unveiled "Kids into Health Careers"—an education
campaign to attract more children's interest in careers in nursing and
the health
professions—during a visit to Jefferson Junior High School in Washington,
D.C.
"Now, for the first time, we are making available the kind of information
parents, teachers and organizations need to motivate and encourage our nation's
promising young talent to pursue a career in the health professions," Secretary
Thompson said.
The "Kids into Health Careers" tool kit has information on more than 270
health careers, such as nurse, physical therapist, x-ray technician, sports
therapist and emergency medical technician. The kit includes information
on the level of education preparation needed to pursue specific health careers,
salary outlook and resources on obtaining financial assistance to pursue
an education in the health professions.
There are hundreds of health career opportunities available, and not all
of them require advanced college degrees. Many are attainable through six-month
certificate programs, while others such as nursing may require a college
degree. Organizations that receive health professions grants through the
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will be required to reach
out to schools in their local communities to get more kids involved in the
health professions.
HHS' nursing survey is the most extensive and comprehensive statistical resource
on registered nurses with current licenses to practice in the United States.
When compared to the 1980 survey, the new 2000 survey suggests that too few
young people are choosing careers in nursing, and the average age of registered
nurses has increased substantially. In 1980, 52.9 percent of RNs were under
the age of 40, but by 2000, only 31.7 percent were under 40. In 1980, 26
percent of RNs were under the age of 30, but by 2000, less than 10 percent
were under age 30.
The survey, conducted every four years by HRSA, also found that:
* the U.S. population increased by nearly 14 percent between 1990 and 2000,
but the rate of nurses entering the workforce between 1996 and 2000 was just
4.1 percent, down from more than 14 percent between 1992 and 1996;
* there are an estimated 2,696,540 active, licensed RNs in the United States, an increase of only 137,666 nurses from 1996;
* 81.7 percent or 2,115,815 of active licensed RNs are employed in nursing;
* 12.3 percent or 333,368 of all RNs reported being from one or more racial or ethnic minority backgrounds;
* 5.9 percent of RNs employed in nursing are men, up from 5.4 percent in 1996; and
* the number of nurses working in hospitals increased slightly from 1,270,870 in 1996 to 1,300,323 in 2000.
Early in his tenure, Secretary Thompson identified the nursing shortage as
a critical national priority. In September, Secretary Thompson announced
a new series of grants and contracts totaling more than $27.4 million to
increase the number of qualified nurses and the quality of nursing services
across the country. The awards will help ease the emerging shortage of qualified
nurses available to provide essential health care services in many communities
nationwide.
President Bush's fiscal year 2003 budget proposes a total of $15 million,
nearly a 50 percent increase above last year's funding, to expand the Nursing
Education Loan Repayment program to help address the nation's growing need
for nursing professionals. The increase will support 800 new nursing education
loan repayment agreements. The program repays a substantial portion of the
education loans of nurses who agree to work for two years in designated public
or nonprofit health facilities. A funding preference is given to nurses who
have the greatest financial need and who agree to serve in health facilities
located in geographic areas with a shortage of nurses.
The 2000 nursing survey report is available at http://www.bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing
More information about "Kids into Health Careers" is available at http://www.bhpr.hrsa.gov/kidscareers
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