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In the news: Recent nurse survey shows increase in diversity, age in nursing

Stressed Out Nurses Weekly, March 22, 2010

The National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN), which has been conducted every four years since 1980 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, found that while predominantly white and female, the RN population is gradually becoming more diverse, with Hispanics as the most rapidly growing group. The nursing population is also aging: By 2008, 16.2 percent of RNs were 50 to 54 years old, which researchers noted may be a cause for concern as the general patient population ages and demand for nurses increases and the large volume of older nurses retire.

The study also revealed that there are 3,063,163 licensed registered nurses in the U.S., an increase of 5.3% since 2004. An estimated 14.5% of RNs received their license with the past four years, and the employment rate for RNs is the highest it's been since the survey began in 1977.

To view the entire NSSRN report, click here.

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