(NewsNation) —Medical strikes are gaining attention, sending a signal to providers and patients that the U.S. health care industry is facing significant challenges — most notably a nationwide nursing shortage, which experts highlight has worsened since the coronavirus pandemic.
The American Hospital Association quoted federal data which indicates an estimate that half a million nurses would leave the field by the end of 2023, bringing the total shortage to 1.1 million.
However, National Nurses United (NNU) insists there isn’t a nurse shortage.
“It’s not a shortage; there is a staffing crisis that needs to be dealt with in this country,” said NNU president Jean Ross.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing refers to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicating that the registered nurse (RN) workforce is projected to increase by an additional 200,000 by 2031. The data also suggests more than 200,000 yearly job openings when considering retirements and resignations.
“The issue is the concern is with all these changing times all the other opportunities available for nurses like retail care, pharmacy and outpatient care, which a lot of care is shifting to outpatient, and that’s a lot less stressful of an environment for nurses to work in,” said Pavani Rangachari, a professor of health care administration at the University of New Haven.
In a memo distributed in March, NNU stated that there is no shortage of nurses. Instead, nurses are leaving for “a more sustainable profession after repeatedly working under conditions that are unsafe for themselves and their patients.”
NNU cited BLS data indicating that in 2022, more than 1 million registered nurses were not employed as RNs. They also note a year-over-year increase in the number of students passing the nurse licensure exam, and that a significant portion of the workforce is expanding beyond hospitals and acute-care settings.
“There’s a reason for that, when there’s a true shortage, it means that there aren’t enough people going into the pipeline willing to do nursing, or they’re not staying,” Ross said. “Now, this is a case of people not staying, it’s true, but it’s why. And the nurses have been very honest about it for years now, we can’t continue to do more with less.”
NewsNation contacted several hospital groups, but did not receive a response.
The American Hospital Association released a statement that said it’s committed to supporting the workforce.
The Biden administration is allocating $100 million toward initiatives aimed at expanding the nursing industry.
