The US will face a nationwide healthcare worker shortage of 100,000 by 2028, a new report from Mercer suggests. Accelerated resignations, burnout among healthcare workers, an aging population, and lagging wages are all cited as contributors to current or impending labor shortages in certain states.
The report, Future of the U.S. Healthcare Industry: Labor Market Projections by 2028, anticipates widespread shortage of primary care physicians, advanced practice providers, and nurses.
Despite having the fastest growth rate for health professionals, at 3.5%, nurse practitioners are expected to face workforce shortages. The combined impact of both nurse practitioner and physician shortages may disrupt preventative care delivery in some states, study authors warn.
Nursing assistants have the biggest projected deficit over any other analyzed healthcare occupation. By 2028, Mercer expects a projected deficit of over 73,000 nursing assistants nationwide. At a national level, the supply of RNs is projected to outpace demand, resulting in an estimated surplus of nearly 30,000 RNs by 2028.
Analysts say that employers will need to develop comprehensive strategic plans and innovative tactics for attracting and retaining talent, encompassing strong compensation and benefits packages and creative ways of sourcing talent, redesigning work, optimizing schedules and more.
“A shortage of 100,000 healthcare workers will exacerbate existing disparities in healthcare access in certain states,” said Dan Lezotte, a Partner in Mercer’s US Workforce Strategy and Analytics Practice. “It is imperative that healthcare systems take action and develop strategies to address shortages so patient care is not impacted.”
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