In 2025, the nursing workforce has stabilized compared to prepandemic numbers and is expected to grow. However, there are still several nursing challenges systems are facing.
Here are 14 trends to know about the nursing workforce in 2025:
1. The World Health Organization estimated that the global nursing workforce has jumped from 27.8 million in 2018 to 29.8 million in 2023, and it is projected to reach 36 million by 2030.
2. Post pandemic, the nursing workforce has mostly stabilized due to a focus on recruitment and retention. Employment levels have rebounded with 88% of licensed registered nurses and 71% of licensed practical nurses or licensed vocational nurses actively employed.
3. Nurse practitioner positions are projected to grow by 46% by 2033, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found. Meanwhile, nurse anesthetist positions are expected to grow 10%, nurse midwife positions are projected to grow 7%, registered nurse positions are expected to grow 6% and nursing assistant positions are projected to grow 4%.
4. Nearly 40% of RNs said they intend to exit the field within the next five years, equating to about 1.6 million nurses. Of this group, 22% planned to retire and 18% said they plan to leave for other reasons, namely stress and burnout.
5. Among nurses, 65% said their top challenge is stress and burnout, 59% cited staff shortages and high patient ratios, 52% said inadequate pay and benefits, and 51% said they feel undervalued by management. Nurses said they want more flexible schedules, time off, break or sleep rooms, recognition programs, and stress management and wellness programs.
6. The top-paying states for nurses are West Virginia for nurse anesthetists, Arizona for nurse midwives, Iowa for nurse practitioners, California for registered nurses and Wisconsin for nursing assistants.
7. Nurse managers’ number of direct reports was linked to retention and turnover rates of new nurses. On average, managers with 90 or more direct reports saw turnover rates as high as 40% compared to managers with teams of 30, who had an average of 27% of turnover rates.
8. In 2024, turnover rates for staff registered nurses decreased by 2.4%, resulting in a national average of 16.4%. RN turnover ranged from 5.2% to 36.4%, depending on the facility.
9. The average cost of turnover for staff RN increased to $61,110, compared to $56,300 in 2023.
10. The RN vacancy rate was 9.6% in 2024, down by 0.3% from 2023. The average time to recruit an experienced nurse ranged from 62 to 103 days in 2024.
11. In the last five years, RNs in step-down, telemetry and emergency service have had the highest cumulative turnover rates, between 113% and 121%. Meanwhile, RNs in pediatrics and surgical services had the lowest turnover rates at 77.2% and 77.1%, respectively.
12. Nurses said mental health resources represented the largest organization gap at their hospitals. Of nurses, 24% said their workplaces offer no mental health resources, 21% said their employer offers support but it goes unused, and 24% said they are unsure what resources exist.
13. Among nursing students, 68% said they worry about managing workloads and 58% said they are concerned about emotional stress during their transition into hospitals.
14. More nurses are expected to retire as the workforce ages, but there are four things leaders say systems should do: bring nurses into the conversation and let them reshape their work to make it sustainable; help nurses prepare financially for retirement; help retired nurses find volunteer opportunities so they can maintain their sense of purpose and identity; and help retiring nurses enter teaching and preceptor roles so they can pass their knowledge to the next generation.
