The Size of the Registered Nurse Workforce
There were an estimated 3,063,162 licensed registered nurses living in the United States, as of March 2008. This is an increase of 5.3 percent from March 2004, representing a net growth of 153,806 RNs. An estimated 444,668 RNs received their first U.S. license from 2004 through 2008, and thus approximately 291,000 RNs allowed their U.S. licenses to lapse, possibly indicating that the substantial retirements that have been anticipated may have begun.
Author Information:
Department of Health & Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration
