One persistent challenge for hospitals remains the biggest talking point in the industry: the seemingly chronic shortage of registered nurses (RNs) across the country. Research.com’s recent comprehensive report, The U.S. Nursing Shortage: A State-by-State Breakdown for 2025, outlines the current scope of the crisis and some of the reasons behind it. For hospitals and health systems, the data offers actionable insights.
A deepening national shortage
According to this research, the U.S. is facing between 200,000 and 450,000 vacant nursing positions. The shortfall is driven by a combination of causes: an aging workforce, burnout and bottlenecks in the nursing education pipeline. More than a third of RNs are over the age of 50, and many are expected to retire within the next decade. Meanwhile, many qualified nursing school applicants are turned away due to faculty shortages and limited placement opportunities.
Burnout and COVID: A compound effect
Hospital nurses regularly work 12-hour shifts, and already-high patient volumes were exacerbated by the pandemic, which left many feeling overwhelmed. The report highlights that while the total number of RNs has grown slowly since 2019, 2020 saw the smallest increase — a sign of the pandemic's disruption of workforce recruitment and retention.
Economic and educational barriers
Aspiring nurses face high tuition and limited financial aid options, preventing many from entering the field. Accelerated online programs and bridge programs are helping, but scale remains a challenge. The report encourages widening pathways for new nurses through entry-level and second-career programs, such as direct-entry tracks for non-nursing degree holders.
While the crisis is national, healthcare solutions need to be local.
State-specific issues
Although it is a national crisis, the nurse shortage is also impacting states in different ways:
- California will see a wave of retirements with 47% of RNs aged 65+ planning to leave the workforce by 2024.
- Texas has seen rising unmet demand for nurses, hitting 11.8% in 2023.
- Florida faces a sharp decline in license exam pass rates, weakening its entry-level pipeline.
- Pennsylvania and Ohio are struggling with consistent understaffing and high turnover.
These disparities show that while the crisis is national, healthcare solutions need to be local. ShiftKey helps hospitals connect with credentialed clinicians, most of whom are already based in their regions. This quickens gap coverage while keeping care local with independent professionals who understand their region’s challenges and are familiar with its hospitals and health networks.
What’s working: flexible pathways and certifications
Research.com notes that fast-track education programs and advanced certifications are key strategies for building the nursing workforce. Specialties like critical care, gerontology and psychiatric nursing are in demand, and professionals with those skills are essential in acute care settings.
Certifications help hospitals quickly connect with local independent professionals who have the right experience for the job. On ShiftKey, schedulers can easily view credentials, so they can confidently match qualified professionals to shifts that require specific expertise.
Why nurses are important
Research.com stresses the broader value nurses bring to society. Nurses administer treatments, provide emotional support, help patients and families make care decisions and often spend more time with patients than other providers. Their presence is essential to recovery and reassurance. Without nurses, the healthcare system simply would not function.
Finding support through innovations
As the data from Research.com shows, solving the nursing shortage will require long-term investment, policy change and innovation. Along with the educational initiatives outlined in the report, flexible workforce platforms like ShiftKey are also notable innovations — ones that offer better ways to connect hospitals with local, qualified professionals. For stretched nursing teams, this support can make the difference in keeping shifts covered.
