Oregon's Nursing Shortage Info
Progress on the Strategic Plan and Nursing Workforce Initiatives
1) Nursing education programs are expanding to double enrollment as planned. Between 2001 and 2004, the number of graduates from RN education programs increased by 45 percent. Update: The 2006 data from OSBN on number of graduates tells us we have increased the number of graduates from RN education programs by 76 percent since 2001.
2) Oregon has a large pool of qualified nursing school applicants, two to three times more than it has the capacity to educate at present. Update: In 2006, nursing schools in Oregon report, on average, 6 applicants for every position.
3) Nearly one-half of Oregon's RNs are 50 years of age or older. The proportion of nurses over 50 has more than doubled in the past 20 years.
4) An exodus of retiring nurses is now underway. By 2025, 41 percent of currently licensed RNs are expected to retire.
5) By 2010, an estimated 65 full-time equivalent nursing faculty positions in Oregon will be vacated due to retirements. Update: As of June 2006, nursing schools in Oregon report that they presently have 16 unfilled positions, that their anticipated recruitment need in the next 2 years is 56 nursing faculty, and that they anticipate 36 additional nurses will retire in the next 3-5 years. That is a need for 92 additional nursing faculty in the next 5 years. Faculty must be prepared at the Master's and Doctoral levels.
6) Six percent of RNs currently working in the state plan to leave Oregon's nursing workforce for reasons other than retirement within the next two years. Nurses under the age of 40 are more likely to have plans to leave than those 40 or older.
7) Demand for RNs will continue to grow steadily. An additional 15,700 RN job openings are expected statewide over the next 15 years.
8) The age distribution of Oregon's population will change dramatically over the next 20 years. The number of Oregonians 65 and older will exceed one million by 2005, accounting for nearly 25 percent of all the state's residents. Older residents generally consume more healthcare.
Senate Bill 4- A Comprehensive Nursing Shortage Bill
Senate Bill 4 declares a nursing shortage in the state of Oregon. The bill also includes funding for OCN, faculty development and nursing student scholarships. The bill includes two retention elements for state RN's; one addresses retirement and the other insurance. SB4 establishes OCN, in partnership with the Oregon Healthcare Workforce Institute, as advisory to state entities involved in nursing workforce development.
