This week is National Nursing Week, and while more 4 million registered nurses will be celebrating, Florida is still in dire need of more nurses.
Rasmussen College released data last fall highlighting the national and statewide shortage of nursing professionals, noting that Florida is among the top states in the country experiencing the shortage.
Combined with Texas and California, the three states account for nearly 40 percent of the national nursing shortage.
According to the Florida Center for Nursing, more than 40 percent of Florida nurses are approaching retirement age in the next 10 years, leaving the state to face a shortage of RNs by 2025 that is capable of crippling the state’s healthcare system and impacting medical care for Florida residents.
Currently, AdventHealth Tampa has 87 nursing job openings listed on it’s website, while Tampa General Hospital has 112 job openings for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses on its website.
Brandon Regional Hospital has 31 open positions currently and Baycare Health has 438 job openings for registered nurses alone throughout the Tampa Bay area.
While the American Association of Colleges of Nursing reported a 3.7% enrollment increase in entry-level baccalaureate programs in nursing last year the AACN says that enrollment is not growing fast enough to meet the projected demand for RN and APRN services..
