Monday, January 16, 2012

FOREIGN TRAINED RNs NUMBERS CONTINUE TO PLUMMET

During most of the 2000s, internationally trained nurses made up about 10-15% of all new RNs that came on-line in the US. These numbers disappeared with the onset of retrogression in January 2008. The retrogression, now in its fourth year, has eviscerated the number of foreign-trained RNs.

In 2008, about 51,373 internationally educated RNs passed the NCLEX exam. In 2011, that number has been more than halved to 23,266, a drop of about 28,000. Fortunately for US healthcare users, US-educated RNs have filled half of the gap; about 14,000 more US-educated nurses now take the NCLEX-RN then did in 2008.

While the US nursing shortage certainly has eased in recent months, economists and government officials all agree that this is a temporary condition. By the end of the decade the US could be short 250,000 to 1 million nurses, depending on whose estimates you read.


NCLEX-RN Test Takers
US EducatedInt'l EducatedTotal
2008158,38551,373209,758
2009161,36240,622201,984
2010167,597 30,178197,775
2011172,04123,266 195,307


Source: NCSBN Fact Sheets

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