We the People of the United States are getting older, and so are our nurses.

The U.S. Census conducted in 2010 predicts that there will be 19.6 million American workers aged 65 or older by 2050. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s publication “The Aging Workforce: Challenges for the Health Care Industry Workforce,” a full 75 percent of the U.S. workforce will reach age 65 or older by 2050. The number of employees ages 25 to 54 will only increase by a predicted 2 percent during the same period of time.

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration published the findings from the 2008 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses. This survey found that the majority of registered nurses employed full-time and part-time in the U.S. range in ages from 45 to 59. The overall average age of an RN in the United States is 50.

The average age of a registered nurse entering practice was 30 years old. Because they are entering the profession later in their lives, they will likely continue in the profession for fewer years than younger nurses have traditionally done.

We the People are aging, and those we rely on for care are also aging.

Retirements Loom Large on the Horizon

The health care industry is facing a declining employee population as older RNs retire. Losing these older, experienced nurses could lead to increased staffing shortages — already a pressing issue. As more and more mature nurses retire, quality of patient care could be compromised, along with an increasing risk to patient safety.

Where are the up-and-coming young 20-something RNs to replace our retiring population of caregivers? According to a 2014 press release from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), “Though nursing student enrollment inched forward last year, more than 53,000 qualified applicants to entry-level nursing programs were turned away.”

Enrollment Denied

What is the cause behind the turning away of 53,000 qualified potential nursing students from our colleges and universities? The problems seem to be an inability of our institutions of higher learning to accommodate the numbers.

The AACN relates the denials of entrance into nursing programs to a general shortage of nursing faculty on a national level. In addition, nursing programs report difficulties in procuring clinical practice placement sites. The ever-present funding issues also need addressing.

Retention and Recruitment

Knowing the statistics surrounding our national nursing shortage doesn’t fill the nurses’ station during end-of-shift report, however. For health care staffing agencies and those charged with recruiting nurses to a specific health care provider, filling vacant positions is a priority.

One of the best ways to prevent a vacancy in the nursing department is to keep the nurses you have happy. Offering incentives, flexibility in scheduling and great benefits packages can go a long way toward accomplishing this goal. Offer nurses who meet higher education goals opportunities for professional development and advancement.

Nursing staffing agencies and in-house recruitment teams should begin recruitment of newly graduated nurses at local nursing schools. Recruit RN candidates as they are obtaining their licensure and entering the workforce. Uncertain economic times may cause older nurses to continue working for a while, meaning new grads in some areas may feel a job squeeze.

Signing bonuses are a popular way of filling health care staffing needs. With the current emphasis on the burden of student loans, an offer to help pay students’ debt in return for an agreed-upon commitment to a job placement can be an effective lure.

America’s nurses are aging, but that doesn’t mean they must leave the workforce. Make the workplace one they will be reluctant to leave by embracing technology and inventive, flexible scheduling practices.

Help your aging nurse population work smarter, not harder. They’re working hard already.

Allied Staffing Network can help healthcare facilities find the nursing staff they need. Contact us today to learn more about our services.