WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (UPI) — Frontline nurses faced understaffing, burnout and underappreciation, driving thousands to quit their jobs during the pandemic, several experts told members of Congress on Thursday.
In fact, a McKinsey Global Institute report in May found that by 2025, the United States could be short up to 450,000 nurses.
“Nurses are often considered the oxygen of any healthcare setting, so as a country, we need people to become new nurses and we need to retain current nurses.”
Szanton said the average age for nurses across the country is 54. About 19% of all working nurses are 65 or older. She said aging members of profession become more concerning as the overall population also ages and starts to develop more chronic conditions.