New School of Nursing facility is aimed at alleviating rural nursing shortage 

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Institutions of higher education play a key role in addressing disparities caused by nursing shortages, according to Anne Heyen, an assistant teaching professor in the MU Sinclair School of Nursing and lead author of a new study looking at shortages in Missouri.

Rural counties in Missouri have been hit harder by the nursing shortage than urban areas, according to Heyen. Out of the 114 total counties in Missouri, 97 are designated as healthcare professional shortage areas, and a majority of these counties are rural.

Higher pay and more job opportunities in cities lead young nursing students to pursue work in the urban areas where they are often educated, Heyen said.

To help meet the nursing shortage, the Sinclair School of Nursing's new 64,585-square-foot facility, expected to be completed on the University of Missouri's campus by spring 2022, will allow the school to increase class sizes and graduate more nurses. 

The school is placing an emphasis on recruiting more students from the 25-county service area overseen by the University of Missouri Health Care. Students who come from a rural area are more likely to return there for work after they graduate, Heyen said.

WHY THIS MATTERS

While the United States faces a nationwide nursing shortage, rural Missouri counties are experiencing nursing shortages at a far greater rate than the state's metropolitan counties, leading to health disparities, according to the study. 

In addition, rural Missouri counties have a higher percentage of older nurses nearing retirement, which is expected to further impact the future of the state's nursing workforce.

The study found that 31% of all Missouri nurses are older than 54, and rural Missouri counties had higher percentages of nurses over 54 compared to their urban counterparts, including three rural counties -- Dekalb, Reynolds and Worth -- where more than half of the nurses are over 54.

"In some of these rural areas where nearly half of the nursing workforce is nearing retirement, now is the time to be proactive and start thinking about who is going to replace them 10 years down the road," Heyen said. "Research has shown nurses tend to stay and work where they are educated, which can influence young nurses to stay in urban areas where there tend to be more educational resources."

"Show me the nursing shortage: Location matters in Missouri nursing shortage" was recently published in the Journal of Nursing Regulation by Heyen and co-authors Lori Scheidt and Tracy Greever-Rice.

Heyen analyzed workforce data of nearly 136,000 licensed Missouri nurses to identify the age and geographical disparities across the state.

THE LARGER TREND

A growing nursing shortage is being exacerbated by the number of baby boomers reaching retirement age. 

Due to the growing demand for healthcare services, reports project that 1.2 million new RNs will be needed by 2030 to address the current shortages, according to the University of St. Augustine for Health Science.

Frontline workers experiencing burnout and stress due to working on the frontlines during the pandemic has added to the burden. Many nurses have retired or left full-time hospital employment for other jobs, including for more lucrative positions as traveling nurses.

ON THE RECORD

"Whether it's potentially partnering with community colleges in rural areas or establishing satellite campuses with dual credit options or more outreach programs, universities and their nursing schools can use this information to brainstorm solutions to assist underserved communities and provide more educational and employment opportunities to nursing students in the areas that need it most," Heyen said. "The overall goal of this research is to make sure everyone in Missouri ultimately has access to the healthcare they need, regardless of where they live, and identifying where the nursing shortages occur is a key first step."

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: susan.morse@himssmedia.com