Idaho 2024 Nurse Workforce Report Highlights Growing Shortages Amid Changing Supply and Demand

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Idaho Center for Nursing
Teresa Stanfill, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, RNC-OB, Executive Director
Email: tstanfill@nurseleaders.org
Phone: (208) 918-3282

Idaho 2024 Nurse Workforce Report Highlights Growing Shortages Amid Changing Supply and Demand

BOISE, ID – October 23, 2024 – The Idaho Center for Nursing today released its 2024 Nurse Workforce Report, offering crucial insights into the state’s nursing workforce, education pipeline, and employment demand. This comprehensive study, based on multiple data sources, highlights an ongoing shortage of registered nurses (RNs), advanced-practice nurses (APRNs), and licensed practical nurses (LPNs), along with recommendations to address these challenges.

Nurse Supply and Workforce Breakdown

As of June 2024, Idaho’s nursing workforce consists of:

• 3,467 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), with 3,105 residing in Idaho, representing a slight decrease of 72 Idaho-based LPNs compared to 2022.
• 22,845 Registered Nurses (RNs), including 2,487 Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), leaving a potential RN workforce of 20,358. This is a net increase of 1,708 RNs since 2022, but still falling short of the state’s healthcare demands.

The report also details demographic challenges, noting that 6.8% of Idaho's RNs and LPNs are of retirement age, further impacting workforce availability. Rural regions of Idaho saw a gain of 520 nurses since 2022, reversing a prior trend of migration to urban centers.

Educational Output and Workforce Demand

Idaho’s nursing education institutions have produced over 2,500 new graduate RNs and 152 LPNs over the past five years. However, educational capacity remains limited due to shortages in clinical sites and qualified faculty. Despite these constraints, Idaho nursing programs maintain high first-time pass rates on the NCLEX, ensuring graduates are well-prepared for the workforce.

In contrast, the demand for nurses remains high. The Idaho Department of Labor identifies RNs as a top job need, with ongoing vacancies across the state. Monthly vacancy rates for nurses range between 750 and 1,000, signaling that the current supply is insufficient to meet healthcare needs, particularly in long-term care settings.

Conclusion

The 2024 Idaho Nurse Workforce Report provides a clear call to action for policymakers, educational institutions, and healthcare organizations. Addressing faculty shortages, expanding educational capacity, and improving nurse retention strategies are essential to securing an adequate workforce capable of meeting Idaho's healthcare demands.

For more information or to access the full report, visit https://bit.ly/IDNursingWorkforce2024