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Motion of the Council of Allegheny County urging the enactment of HB 1825 and SB 25, currently pending before the Pennsylvania General Assembly, with all deliberate speed.
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Whereas, according to the Journal of Nursing Regulation, nursing is the nation’s largest healthcare profession, with nearly 5.2 million registered nurses (RNs) currently employed in healthcare; and
Whereas, the median age of RNs, however, was 46 as of 2022, with over one quarter of RNs indicating that they were contemplating retirement within the next 5 years (see Smiley, R.A., Allgeyer, R.L., Shobo, Y., Lyons, K.C., Letourneau, R., Zhong, E., Kaminski-Ozturk, N., & Alexander, M. (April 2023). The 2022 National Nursing Workforce Survey. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 14(1), Supplement (S1-S90)); and
Whereas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2022 Occupational Outlook Handbook for Registered Nurses estimates that over 200,000 new RN positions will be created nationwide each year from 2021-2031; and
Whereas, the BLS 2022 Occupational Outlook Handbook for Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives and Nurse Practitioners indicates that, with more than four times as many RNs in the United States as physicians, nursing delivers an extended array of healthcare services, including primary and preventive care by nurse practitioners with specialized education in such areas as pediatrics, family health, women's health, and gerontological care. Nursing's scope also includes services by certified nurse-midwives and nurse anesthetists, as well as care in cardiac, oncology, neonatal, neurological, and obstetric/gynecological nursing and other advanced clinical specialties; and
Whereas, as reported by Channel 21 News in Harrisburg, PA, however “[d]ata from the Hospital and Health System Association of Pennsylvania [HAP] predicts PA will have a shortage of over 20,000 nurses by 2026, which is the worst number nationwide.” Person, Elise, An inside look at the nursing shortage, PA ...
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