Updated June 2025
It’s no secret there’s a shortage of nurses in healthcare systems nationwide. But the causes, and potential long-term effects, aren’t always well understood.
Why is There a Nursing Shortage?
Labor shortages aren’t unique to healthcare, but the situation in nursing is especially urgent. Even before the pandemic, projections anticipated that 1 million nurses would retire by 2030. The COVID-19 crisis accelerated this timeline and impact.
Today, the numbers speak for themselves. A 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study found that 39.9% of RNs and 41.3% of LPN/VNs still intend to leave the workforce or retire within the next five years. Their reasons haven’t changed much since 2022: stress, burnout, and early retirement continue to drive nurses away. These nursing shortage statistics confirm what many in the industry already feel: efforts haven’t moved the needle fast enough.
At its core, the nursing shortage is a supply and demand issue. Nursing schools simply aren’t producing enough graduates to offset the increasing number of retirements and departures from the workforce. But the situation is more complex than that.
According to Medical Solutions’ 2023 Voices of Care survey, nurses cite several key reasons for leaving the profession:
- Retirement
- Feeling undervalued or unsupported
- Pursuing better financial opportunities
- Loss of career fulfillment
- Burnout and mental health struggles
Only 44 percent of survey respondents said they were satisfied with their role, and 39 percent felt fairly paid and recognized for their efforts. These figures help paint a clearer picture of the emotional and systemic challenges behind the current shortage.
Why the Nursing Shortage Is Hard to Reverse
Healthcare providers and staffing agencies have adopted new strategies for recruiting and retaining nurses: better compensation, streamlined hiring, improved work-life balance, more hands-on orientation and onboarding, and education or professional development opportunities.
If demand is high and nursing jobs offer more support than ever before, the labor shortage must be easing, right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case. While these efforts have helped address certain aspects of the problem, issues remain.
So, is there a nursing shortage today? Without question. Despite more pay and benefits, many facilities remain short-staffed. Nurses are routinely asked to work longer hours, pick up more shifts, and manage larger patient loads with smaller teams. This added strain leads to increased stress, burnout, decreased job satisfaction, and, ultimately, more nurses leaving the profession. Fueling a cycle of turnover that’s difficult to break.
The Impact of the Nursing Shortage Today
Many throughout the industry recognize and understand the immediate financial consequences of these shortages. However, there is a deeper and more alarming negative outcome—the impact on patient care and overall consumer safety. Put simply, a labor shortage can be dangerous and pose significant risks to patients and healthcare facilities.
Patient Safety and Care Quality
When nurse-to-patient ratios are too low, the risk of medication errors, hospital-acquired infections, and patient falls increases. Nurses who are stretched too thin are more likely to experience fatigue, which leads to a decline in attention to detail and increased potential for errors. These lapses compromise the quality of care and contribute to extended hospital stays.
Delayed Diagnoses and Slower Recoveries
Nurses play a vital role in early detection, complication prevention, and day-to-day monitoring. When there aren’t enough nurses on the floor, patients may experience delays in diagnosis or treatment that extend recovery and impact long-term health outcomes.
Economic Consequences
Shortages in the U.S. are driving up labor costs as hospitals rely more heavily on overtime, travel nurses, and recruitment incentives to fill gaps. These expenses, coupled with reduced efficiency and increased readmissions, place long-term financial strain on healthcare systems.
Nursing Shortage Solutions
Addressing the shortage requires a collective effort involving policymakers, healthcare organizations, and educational institutions. To solve this problem, we must prioritize and invest in the nursing workforce, not just to fill roles but to build long-term stability and ensure the highest quality of care. Here’s what you can do on a facility level to help make an impact.
- Invest in Your Talent: According to the , 83 percent of permanent nurses who were planning to leave said they would consider staying if offered a salary increase, and 45 percent said they would reconsider if additional staff were hired to help reduce workloads. Fair pay, flexible scheduling, and realistic workloads remain critical to reducing turnover.
- Provide Growth Opportunities: Nurses want to grow their careers just like anyone else. To support continuing education, consider offering scholarships, loan repayment support, or time-off allowances to pursue more advanced degrees or certifications. Mentorship programs and internal promotion tracks can also give nurses clearer pathways to leadership or specialization.
- Use Local, PRN, and Per Diem Staff Strategically: While full-time teams continue to feel stress and strain, tapping into a pool of qualified local, PRN, or per diem nurses is a smart, flexible solution. These professionals can help cover last-minute gaps and keep staffing ratios safe without requiring long lead times or relocation. While not a replacement for permanent hires, this helps manage immediate needs and can be a critical piece of a broader workforce stability strategy.
- Leverage International and Diverse Talent: Consider turning to international hiring strategies to expand talent pools and secure long-term stability. International nurses bring solid experience, fresh perspectives, and strong clinical skills, making them great long-term additions to the team. While international hiring is not a quick fix, it’s a solution that can offer steady support and help build a more stable workforce.
- Embrace Innovation and Virtual Support Models: Leveraging virtual care and automated support tools can help reduce burnout and improve efficiency. By shifting routine tasks like documentation or discharge education to virtual sitters, on-site nurses can focus on direct patient care. These tools are not meant to replace nurses but to support them and ensure their time and skills are used where they have the most significant impact.
Solving the nursing shortage is a tall order, and it requires the effective execution of both short- and long-term strategies. To accomplish this, you need a true partner who can work closely with your organization to ensure you meet your workforce needs.
Matchwell, now part of Medical Solutions, is an agency alternative that matches clinicians with top healthcare facilities looking for local and per diem talent. Schedule a demo or contact us to learn more. We’d love to show you how we’re revolutionizing the way healthcare professionals and facilities come together for work.