GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — With new data showing that healthcare demands will only continue to increase, the growing shortage of nurses is a major concern for many across the nation and in Wisconsin.
New data is showing many nurses are burnt out, overworked and leaving the field. And that’s expected to continue over the next few years.
By 2032, the population over 75 years old will grow by 75%; the population under 18 will only increase by 3.5% — meaning the need for healthcare is only increasing, according to the Wisconsin Nursing Association.
WNA says many nurses are leaving the field to retire early after the stress on the healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“And that’s when nurses began to realize they didn’t have the capacity anymore,” explained WNA Executive Director Gina Dennik-Champion.
An AMN Health Care survey showed 30% of nurses nationally say they are likely to leave their career due to the pandemic — up seven percentage points since 2021.
Dennik-Champion says newer nurses are also feeling overwhelmed.
“They aren’t feeling the support,” she explained. “They’re getting onboarded but maybe not the time frame that they need and are feeling again that, ‘This is not what I signed up to do.’”
And the shortage is having an impact on patients too.
“When there’s fewer nurses on the unit, they’re assigned more patients and that leads to the patient having to wait,” said Dennik-Champion. “It does cause concern for that patient and family members.”
She says this has also caused an uptick in verbal abuse toward nurses, which could also contribute towards more nurses leaving the profession.
Dennik-Champion estimates about 1,500 new nurses will graduate this month in Wisconsin.
“We have approximately 70 students graduating from our bachelors of nursing program,” said Dean of Nursing at Bellin College Mary Rollof. “So, they will be entering the workforce.”
Rolloff says this number is very consistent with what she sees each year.
Bellin recently transitioned to a three-year program in an effort to recruit more students, according to Rolloff.
UW-Green Bay started a new nursing program this past year.
“This year, we will put 32 nurses into the workforce,” said UWGB Dean of Health Susan Gallagher-Lepak.
Due to the current shortage, UWGB is looking to expand its nursing program to send more nurses into the workforce.
“We have a lot of pressures from healthcare to say grow that program. ‘You started it, now grow it,’ said Gallagher-Lepak. “So, we are very much looking at growing the program.”
But Rolloff says nursing students have their concerns.
“They want to provide high-quality care,” she explained. “And there is always the concern that will they be able to do that if there are not enough nurses surrounding them?”
But both Bellin and UWGB say they’re proud to help.
“We have our challenges, but nursing is resilient, and we work through those, and we will work through this as well,” said Rolloff.
