Categories: Scrubs

Did you know these 5 facts about nursing?

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Have you ever wondered how many nurses make up the entire country’s population? Or which country provides the U.S. with the most nurses? We’ve rounded up the answers below.

1. Nurses could take over a country…hypothetically. Nurses who actively work in nursing in the United States make up 0.76 percent of the U.S. population. That’s about the entire population of the country of Latvia.

2. Nurses go northeast. The highest concentration of RNs in the United States is in New England, with approximately 1,107 RNs per 100,000 people. Meanwhile, the Pacific region has the lowest ration, with only 645 RNs per 100,000 people. Obviously, it’s not the weather calling to the nurses.

3. Nurses come from all over. About 3.5 percent of RNs who are licensed to work in the United States were educated outside of the U.S. The country that provides the U.S. with the most nurses? The Philippines.

4. Nurses find other uses for their expertise. Almost 17 percent of RNs in the United States are not working in nursing. One possibility is that they left nursing to work in less stressful occupations (Bomb squad? Air traffic controller?) where burnout is less common.

5. The profession is strong. National statistics claim that the unemployment rate for RNs is lower than 2 percent. If so, then why are so many nurses looking for work? Tell us your theory.

Sources:
www.nursingadvocacy.org
www.georgianurses.org
www.hrsa.gov
www.bls.gove

Marijke Durning

Marijke is a professional writer who began her working career as a registered nurse over 25 years ago. After working in clinical areas ranging from rehab to intensive care, as a floor nurse to a supervisor, she found she could combine her extensive health knowledge with her love of writing. Although she has been published in a wide variety of publications for professionals and the general public, her passion is writing for the every day person to promote health literacy.