Emory nursing workforce report details shortage of nurses in Georgia
By Catherine Morrow
Georgia has one of the lowest densities of registered nurses in the nation, according to a decade-long report recently published by the School of Nursing.
Led by Associate Professor Jeannie Cimiotti PhD RN, the 10-year longitudinal study details nurse demographic and employment characteristics. The study includes data from 2009-2018.
Estimates from the study suggest that Georgia has seen little growth in its registered nurse workforce, roughly 3% annually, over the past decade, despite a surge in the state’s population.
While the report showed a larger increase of nurse practitioners, registered nurses provide most of the hands-on nursing care statewide.
A yearly increase of nurses aged 65 and older further complicates the shortage, as this cohort that soon retire, leaving vacancies.
“It is imperative that we understand the dynamics of Georgia’s nurse workforce to enhance future nurse workforce planning,” the authors said.
School of Nursing Dean and Professor Linda McCauley PhD RN is senior author on the report. Contributing authors include Vicki Hertzberg PhD, professor and director in the Center for Data Science; Yin Li PhD, assistant research professor; and Masato Yoshihara MPH, data analyst.
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"Emory nursing workforce report details shortage of nurses in Georgia"
