The National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN) is the longest running survey of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States. Since its inaugural assessment in 1977, the NSSRN has provided educators, health workforce leaders, and policymakers with key details and developments of the nursing workforce supply. This report analyzes education and training data from the 2018 NSSRN. Using the 2018 NSSRN, stakeholders are able to gain insight into nursing education and practice, including recruitment and retention of the nursing workforce. The NSSRN is a nationally representative sample survey of RNs that is designed to examine various workforce characteristics, such as demographics, education and training, and employment.
A total of 50,273 RNs completed the 2018 study via a web instrument or a paper questionnaire, representing a total of 3,967,661 RNs. The response rate for the survey was 50.1 per cent (49.1 per cent weighted). This instrument gathered data from participants with active RN licenses from all US states and the District of Columbia. This report focuses on the education and training characteristics of actively licensed nurses as of December 31, 2017. As of December 31, 2017, there were an estimated 3,957,661 actively licensed registered nurses (RNs) in the United States. Prior to completing their initial RN educational program, approximately 67.1 per cent of RNs reported holding a health-related job and 13.5 per cent reported already holding a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) license. While 95 percent of nurses are trained in the US, 5 per cent are trained abroad. Approximately 5.7 per cent of NSSRN respondents reported that at least half of their nursing coursework was delivered online or through correspondence. The proportion of nurses who graduated with a bachelor's degree rose to 54.5 per cent in the years between 2012 and 2016, compared to only 22.9 per cent before 1971.
The Characteristics of the US Nursing Workforce with Patient Care Responsibilities report examines the composition of the United States nursing workforce, with a particular focus on nurses with direct patient care responsibilities, in order to provide data on nurses who may be best positioned to meet the nation’s immediate needs during a response to an infectious disease outbreak.
Excerpts from publications.
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