As concerns about medical staffing increase in the U.S., Florida is facing a challenge when it comes to nurses, as it ranked last in the nation for pass rates of exams needed to obtain a license.
That’s according to an article published by Axios this week, citing a new report from the Florida Center for Nursing (FCN). Axios’ report also noted that Rayna Letourneau, executive director of the FCN, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, said the state even had the most test takers in the country last year.
“Florida has lagged the national average for over a decade, with the gap reaching its widest in 2020,” Axios said. However, things do seem to be looking up in the Sunshine state, based on some metrics.
According to the Florida Hospital Association, the reported overall nursing vacancy rate in the state for 2024 was 7.8%, a reduction of 62% when compared to 2022 and the turnover rate was 17.6%, down from a high of 32% in 2022. Still, there were over 16,000 nursing vacancies.
At the same time, medical staffing issues are popping up across the country. A study released this week by the Kaiser Family Foundation said that addressing Medicaid home care should be a priority for most states. It said House Republicans’ proposals to cut federal Medicaid spending by $2.3 trillion over 10 years might impact its recommended increases in compensation to help address the issue.
“Despite states’ efforts to address workforce challenges, cuts to Medicaid and changes in immigration policy under the new Trump Administration may exacerbate provider shortages and reduce payment rates for home care workers,” said KFF of President Donald Trump’s new administration, which has been particularly focused on cutting government spending.
A new study based on research conducted by the Mercer consultancy and its partner Lightcast cited by the American Hospital Association also projects a shortage of about 100,000 critical health care workers overall in the U.S. by 2028. The AHA said a shortage of nurse assistance in particular may be severe and that only 13 states are expected to meet or exceed the future demand for 73,000 NAs by 2028.
“Because NAs make up a large share of the overall health care workforce, these projected shortages warrant close attention,” said the association. It also cited increased compensation as a way to encourage more people to become NAs.
Nursing specific projections were also released this November by the Health Resources and Services Administration, a government agency. It predicted shortages through 2037, including a projected 10% shortage of registered nurses (RNs) just two years from now. This shortage is expected to still be at 6% a decade later.
This Saturday, USA Today reported on a new medical staffing challenge that has popped up as part of the new administrations effort to cut spending. It reported that the Department of Veterans Affairs was scrambling this week to reinstate some fired healthcare workers, citing VA staffers said.
“More than 1,000 VA employees were fired amid the sweeping layoffs of federal workers across the government, the department announced last week,” the outlet said. “Those fired included probationary employees – with two years or less on the job, depending on the position.”
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also sounded alarms this week about “Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s efforts to lay off Indian Health Service staff at a time when a significant health care workforce shortage already exists for Tribal communities in Oregon and nationwide.”
He said in a press release that recent reports indicate that more than 850 IHS employees, “who provide critical medical care for Tribal communities,” are at risk of being immediately laid off. Wyden said that laying off the employees could lead to increased healthcare costs.