Chicago nursing shortage expected to worsen

Chicago is short on nurses, and the problem is likely to get worse

Like many other cities across the U.S., Chicago is facing a shortage of nurses that threatens to disrupt patient care over the next several years. A recent study by the Metropolitan Healthcare Council of Greater Chicago says that there is a shortage of 9,000 nurses today, and some estimates that number will balloon to 11,000 by 2025.

The root of the crisis is in the lack of healthcare educators, which forces area schools to admit only a small number of applicants. "Unless there are some creative ways to accommodate all these nursing students, I think that's one of the major problems," said Roz Lennon, chief nursing officer for the Cook County Health and Hospitals System, quoted by Chi Town Daily News.

Adding to the problem is a high number of expected retirements in the near future. A poll conducted by the Bernard Hodes Group found out of the 1,000 respondents, 55 percent said they would retire between 2011 and 2020.

For those just entering the nursing field, their city's need may translate into positive circumstances. In New Jersey and Texas, scholarship programs and incentives to nursing instructors have been established to get education within those states back on track.

Furthermore, the high number of retirements may mean that new nurses will not have much trouble finding work.