10 States That Will Need Nurses The Most By 2030

Some careers have experienced a massive rise in popularity due to technological advancements in recent years. For instance, the emergence of careers like social media influencer and computer programming. Some other careers have shrunk because technology has replaced them, making their services substandard and irrelevant. However, a few career lines and occupations have remained constant regardless of technology and other external factors. A typical example of these careers is nursing, which has shown that it is a career that is needed now and will still be needed for so many years to come.

Nursing is a profession within the medical sector that focuses on caring for individuals, families, and communities to maintain stable physical health. A person who practices this profession is called a nurse. Nurses have a license as health care practitioners, and they are charged with caring for sick, aging, or delicate people by monitoring the patient, administering medications, and keeping records. Nursing is one of the most important careers in the health care sector, but it is often one of the least applied for in college. As a result, the number of nurses compared to that of patients in hospitals is deteriorating, which is a very worrying statistic.

Many students who intend to go into the medical field are not well aware of the benefits of majoring in nursing. This is why college admission counseling should be taken seriously in each state, to educate young students about the prestige and benefits attached to picking a nursing major or attending schools of nursing. 

With the current nurse shortage, here is a list of states that will need nurses in 2030.

California was already on the list as one of the states predicted to have a shortage of nurses in 2030 before the COVID-19 pandemic struck and multiplied the chances. The pandemic stretched their available nurses past their limits and forced many into early retirement afterward. Now the state is suffering from a shortage of nurses poised to become worse in the coming years.

Alaska is one state that has always struggled with having sufficient nurses in the past because of its inability to attract and retain professional medical practitioners. As a result, the state has topped the list for an expected shortage of nurses for a while now. Alaska is projected to suffer a 22.7% nurse shortage in 2030.

New Jersey makes the list of states expected to lack sufficient nurses in the coming years due to their lack of quality education. The state is already behind on qualified educators, making it difficult to set up programs for nursing majors. Although the state is working hard to improve the situation, it is currently expected to have an 11% shortage of registered nurses in 2030.

The State of Georgia has been projected to incur a 2.2% shortage of registered nurses within the next decade. But the state has put plans in motion to prevent this shortage by introducing nursing programs in colleges within the state.

Massachusetts is known to pay an above minimum wage to medical practitioners, including nurses in the state. This is why the state is expected to have a slight surplus in registered nurses come 2030. But the state has also been predicted to have a 17.9% shortage of licensed practical nurses.

With an expected licensed nurse shortage of 7.3%, Illinois appears on the list of states that will need nurses the most in 2030.

The state of Arizona is working relentlessly to ensure that the supply of registered and licensed nurses is met by a greater or equal supply. But as things stand, the state is expected to go 22.8% short of licensed nurses in a few years.

The lone star state is located in the south-central region of the United States, and it is the second-largest state in the country. Texas is projected to have a 6% shortage in registered nurses and a 30% shortage in licensed practical nurses before 2030.

South Dakota is a Midwestern state in the United States with extraordinary landmarks and exciting views. But the state is among the top states expected to be short of registered and practicing nurses in 2030. However, the state has put a workforce to help recruit and train new nurses to avoid this shortage.

South Carolina is among the states with the highest expected shortage of nurses in 2030. The state is predicted to have a 35% shortage of practical nurses and a 16.6% shortage of registered nurses as things stand. But health care in the state is trying to reduce the expected deficit by offering jobs to potential nurses as soon as they start their degree programs.

What can families and students do with this information? Well, if you are interested in pursuing a career in the medical field, be sure to learn as much as you can about all of your options. Nursing is one example of a highly-sought, rewarding pathway that students can overlook without guidance. If you’re looking to work with a professional college counselor, call Empowerly today.