Changes in the Rural Registered Nurse Workforce From 1980 to 2004 (Final Report)

Date
10/2007
Description

There are shortages of registered nurses (RNs) in most parts of the country. Rural strategies to address these shortages may differ from urban strategies, and knowledge of how the rural nurse workforce has changed over time is important for rural health policy and planning. With data from 1980-2004 National Sample Surveys of Registered Nurses, and using Rural-Urban Commuting Area definitions, this study describes changes in rural and urban RN demographics, education, and employment characteristics over time.

Center
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Authors
Susan Skillman, Lorella Palazzo, Gary Hart, Patricia Butterfield