41 percent of nurses report a strong likelihood of leaving their jobs within 12 months. 65 percent say staffing shortages already reduce patient care quality. 1.1 million registered nurse openings are projected while the employed workforce reaches 3.1 million.
Key Takeaways
- 1 in 4 nurses report experiencing burnout (25%) (share reporting burnout in recent survey research)
- 49% of nurses report they are dissatisfied with their work-life balance (survey finding)
- 65% of nurses report that staffing shortages affect patient care quality (share indicating impact)
- In 2023, U.S. RN median annual wage was $94,480 (wage level)
- $88,000 median annual premium for nurses after adjustments for overtime/agency use (median cost premium estimate)
- $4.1 billion U.S. market for nurse staffing services in 2023 (market revenue estimate)
- 32% of hospitals increased reliance on agency staffing during 2022 due to vacancies (percent reporting increase)
- 2.5x growth in travel nurse placements between 2019 and 2022 (relative growth in placements)
- In OECD countries, the nursing workforce is projected to decline in growth rate, creating gaps (OECD health workforce projections)
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment growth of 6% for RNs from 2022 to 2032 (employment growth projection)
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment growth of 5% for LPNs/LVNs from 2022 to 2032 (employment growth projection)
- In 2022-2023, nursing school faculty shortages contributed to limiting enrollment (share of schools citing faculty shortages)
- In 2022, 14% of nursing students reported intent to leave nursing after graduation (intent-to-leave survey statistic)
- 41% of nurses reported a strong likelihood of leaving the job within 12 months (job-leaving likelihood)
- 1.1 million jobs in the U.S. were projected to be openings for registered nurses in 2022–2032, reflecting sustained demand pressures alongside shortages
One in four nurses report burnout, staffing shortages are harming care quality, and nurses face rising pressure to quit.
Related reading
01 · Category
Working Conditions9 stats
01
1 in 4 nurses report experiencing burnout (25%) (share reporting burnout in recent survey research)
02
49% of nurses report they are dissatisfied with their work-life balance (survey finding)
03
65% of nurses report that staffing shortages affect patient care quality (share indicating impact)
04
40.6% of nurses report inadequate staffing levels (survey finding)
05
25% of nurses reported being asked to work unsafe schedules (survey-based unsafe scheduling report)
06
44% of nurses report they worked overtime at least once per week (overtime frequency survey finding)
07
57% of nurses report emotional exhaustion (burnout dimension prevalence)
08
28% of nurses reported plans to reduce hours due to stress (work-hour reduction intent share)
09
30% of nurses report staffing shortages leading to missed breaks (missed-break prevalence)
Interpretation
Working Conditions Interpretation
Working conditions for nurses look strained, with 25% reporting burnout and 40.6% citing inadequate staffing levels, while 44% work overtime at least once a week and 65% say staffing shortages reduce patient care quality.
02 · Category
Cost Analysis6 stats
01
In 2023, U.S. RN median annual wage was $94,480(wage level)
02
$88,000median annual premium for nurses after adjustments for overtime/agency use (median cost premium estimate)
03
$4.1 billion U.S. market for nurse staffing services in 2023 (market revenue estimate)
04
18% increase in nurse staffing labor costs in U.S. hospitals between 2021 and 2022 (change in spending)
05
10% increase in total cost per patient day linked to nurse staffing shortages (cost impact estimate)
06
In 2023, U.S. LPN/LVN median annual wage was $59,730(wage level)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From 2021 to 2022 nurse staffing labor costs rose 18% and shortages were linked to a 10% increase in total cost per patient day, making nursing shortages a clear and measurable cost pressure on U.S. hospitals.
03 · Category
Agency & Travel Labor2 stats
01
32% of hospitals increased reliance on agency staffing during 2022 due to vacancies (percent reporting increase)
02
2.5x growth in travel nurse placements between 2019 and 2022 (relative growth in placements)
Interpretation
Agency & Travel Labor Interpretation
Agency and travel labor demand is clearly rising as hospitals respond to vacancies, with 32% increasing reliance on agency staffing in 2022 and travel nurse placements growing 2.5 times from 2019 to 2022.
04 · Category
Workforce Shortages4 stats
01
In OECD countries, the nursing workforce is projected to decline in growth rate, creating gaps (OECD health workforce projections)
02
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment growth of 6% for RNs from 2022 to 2032 (employment growth projection)
03
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment growth of 5% for LPNs/LVNs from 2022 to 2032 (employment growth projection)
04
OECD countries average 8.7 nurses (per 1,000 population) (cross-country comparator statistic)
Interpretation
Workforce Shortages Interpretation
Under the workforce shortages category, nursing demand is set to outpace supply as OECD countries face a projected slowdown in nursing workforce growth while countries average just 8.7 nurses per 1,000 people and the U.S. expects RN growth of only 6% from 2022 to 2032 and LPN/LVN growth of 5%, highlighting a likely staffing gap.
More related reading
05 · Category
Vacancy & Turnover3 stats
01
In 2022-2023, nursing school faculty shortages contributed to limiting enrollment (share of schools citing faculty shortages)
02
In 2022, 14% of nursing students reported intent to leave nursing after graduation (intent-to-leave survey statistic)
03
41% of nurses reported a strong likelihood of leaving the job within 12 months (job-leaving likelihood)
Interpretation
Vacancy & Turnover Interpretation
Under the Vacancy and Turnover lens, the shortage is being fueled by retention risk and capacity limits, with 14% of nursing students planning to leave and 41% of nurses strongly likely to quit within 12 months while faculty shortages in 2022-2023 restricted nursing school enrollment.
06 · Category
Workforce Supply2 stats
01
1.1 million jobs in the U.S. were projected to be openings for registered nurses in 2022–2032, reflecting sustained demand pressures alongside shortages
02
In the U.S., the number of employed registered nurses increased to 3.1 million in 2023, but staffing shortages persist due to attrition, uneven geographic distribution, and workload growth
Interpretation
Workforce Supply Interpretation
From 2022 to 2032, the U.S. is projected to have 1.1 million openings for registered nurses, and even with employed nurses rising to 3.1 million in 2023, ongoing attrition means the workforce supply still cannot keep pace with demand.
07 · Category
Service Capacity2 stats
01
45% of U.S. hospitals reported that they had patients who had to wait longer for care due to nursing staffing shortages (share reporting delays linked to staffing)
02
7.4% of hospitals reported reducing services as a direct result of staffing shortages (share reporting service reductions)
Interpretation
Service Capacity Interpretation
From a service capacity standpoint, 45% of U.S. hospitals say nursing staffing shortages are forcing patients to wait longer for care, and 7.4% report cutting back services entirely because they cannot maintain sufficient staffing.
08 · Category
Cost & Utilization1 stats
01
In a 2020 analysis, hospitals with greater reliance on agency staffing had higher labor costs per adjusted patient day (statistical relationship reported)
Interpretation
Cost & Utilization Interpretation
A 2020 analysis found that hospitals that relied more heavily on agency staffing saw higher labor costs per adjusted patient day, underscoring how the nursing shortage can drive cost pressure within the Cost and Utilization category.
report visual · Key figures
Nursing shortage signals across the workforce and care outcomes
Large shares of nurses report burnout, dissatisfaction, emotional exhaustion, and intentions to leave—alongside hospitals reporting delays and service reductions tied to staffing shortages.
25%
1 in 4 nurses report experiencing burnout (25%) (share reporting burnout in recent survey research)
49%
49% of nurses report they are dissatisfied with their work-life balance (survey finding)
57%
57% of nurses report emotional exhaustion (burnout dimension prevalence)
41%
41% of nurses reported a strong likelihood of leaving the job within 12 months (job-leaving likelihood)
45%
45% of U.S. hospitals reported that they had patients who had to wait longer for care due to nursing staffing shortages
7.4%
7.4% of hospitals reported reducing services as a direct result of staffing shortages (share reporting service reduction
source-verifiedama-assn.org · nso.com · sciencedirect.com · nejm.org · beckershospitalreview.com · healthcaredive.com
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
James Okoro. (2026, February 13). Current Nursing Shortage Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/current-nursing-shortage-statistics
MLA
James Okoro. "Current Nursing Shortage Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/current-nursing-shortage-statistics.
Chicago
James Okoro. 2026. "Current Nursing Shortage Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/current-nursing-shortage-statistics.
Sources & references
29 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)