RNs make up the largest group of health care providers, and are 77 percent of the nurse workforce. In an additional effort to contain costs in the early 1990s, acute care facilities restructured and redesigned staffing patterns, introducing more non-RN caregivers and reducing the number of RNs on staff. Recent studies have identified a relationship between the level of nurse staffing and the quality of patient care. Job Dissatisfaction, Demographic Changes, and Declining Interest in The Nursing Profession Contribute to Recruitment and Retention Problems

Job dissatisfaction is reported to be high among nurses. A recent Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (FNHP) survey found that half of the currently employed RNs who were surveyed had considered leaving the patient-care field for reasons other than retirement over the past 2 years. Demand for Nurses Will Continue to Grow As the Supply Dwindles

A serious nurse shortage is expected in the future, as pressures are exerted on both demand and supply.
What GAO Found

Health care providers' difficulties in recruiting and retaining nurses may worsen as the demand for nurses rises with the aging of the population. Demographic changes are widening the gap between the numbers of people needing care and available caregivers. Moreover, the current high levels of job dissatisfaction among nurses because of management decisions to restructure health care delivery and staffing may play a crucial role in the extent of future nurse shortages. Efforts to improve the workplace environment may reduce the likelihood that nurses will leave or consider leaving the profession. More data on the exact scope and nature of the problem are needed to help plan and target corrective measures. Providers, states, and the federal government have the opportunity to collect and analyze critical information on changes in the supply of and demand for nurses.