Fast population growth and high costs of living may contribute to the challenges cities face in recruiting and retaining nurses, authors suggest in a new article on LinkedIn.
The article, by Jaimy Lee and George Anders, examines data from the LinkedIn on nursing shortages and surpluses in U.S. metropolitan areas.
The two reviewed data on nurse hiring intensity compared with how many people list "nursing" as a skill on LinkedIn. It showed cities, including Los Angeles, Dallas, San Diego, Nashville, Tenn., and San Antonio, had shortages of at least 500 nurses in February. Those cities also all saw their populations grow at least 5 percent from April 2010 to July 2017, according to the article, which cites the U.S. Census Bureau.
Other U.S. cities with nursing shortages in February included Chicago, Houston, Baltimore, Atlanta, Seattle Boston and Denver .
On the other hand, New York City, Philadelphia, Miami and Tampa, Fla., had nursing surpluses of at least 140 nurses. Philadelphia's six nursing schools were cited as one explanation for the overflow of nurses there. The city also boasts a median nursing salary of $82,270 and a population growth of only 3.6 percent during the study period.
The article also cites the ratio of for-profit to nonprofit hospitals; housing costs; and the number of local nursing schools as factors that could contribute to nursing shortages or surpluses.
Read the full LinkedIn article here.
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