The following are the Inside Albany underwriters for 2001 Nurses needed Growing alarm over health care worker shortage New York is facing a looming nurses shortage which has already hit parts of the state. By 2005, the demand for nurses will outstrip the supply by 17,000 nurses in New York unless additional students enter nursing programs.
Many nurses are on the verge of retirement.
The average age of a registered nurse in New York is 47. Enrollment at nursing schools has dropped as women have more career options. At the same time, New York's over-65 population is growing much faster than the overall population. Faced with inadequate staffing, some hospitals and nursing homes are forcing nurses to work mandatory overtime. As a result, says a nurse recruiter, nurses are burned out and leaving the field early, which contributes to further shortages.