The Mountain West is home to states with some of the worst nursing shortages in the country.
Utah is at the top of the shortage list, with about 1.4 nurses per 100 people, according to an analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
Idaho, Wyoming, Arizona and Colorado trail close behind, with at least 25% fewer nurses than the national average (2.2 nurses per 100 people).
Part of the shortage can be attributed to fewer students in nursing schools, said Kara Beech, executive director of the Wyoming Nurses Association.
But she also said nurses are retiring early, burning out or going into jobs that don’t involve direct patient care.
“There are a lot of jobs now that are available for people with a nursing degree that are not direct patient care, or what somebody would think of as ‘bedside nursing.’”
She said in states like Wyoming, with aging populations, there are not enough young people to go to nursing schools. Beech is part of a national committee trying to get kids excited about nursing as early as elementary school.
But even if enrollment in nursing schools increases, there’s still a shortage of faculty to train them. Beech is hoping Congress passes legislation to continue funding for nurse education and workforce development programs. Lawmakers in Arizona and New Mexico are supporting that effort.
Some nurses in Utah also want to raise pay to match the high cost of living. Nurses in Wyoming and Utah make the lowest average wage in the region, at about $88,000 a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nurses in New Mexico, by comparison, make about $94,000 a year.
Credit: Mountain West News Bureau data analysis of U.S. Census Population Estimate (as of July 1, 2024) and National Council of State Boards of Nursing database
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio, KJZZ in Arizona and NPR, with additional support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
