Some Facts about Nursing

The Nursing Population

There are more than 2.7 million licensed registered nurses in the United States; 82 percent of these are employed in nursing, and 18 percent are not working or are working in other occupations.
The average age of all registered nurses was 45.2 in 2000; in 1996, it was 44.3.
In 2000, only 32 percent of all nurses were under age 40; in 1980, 53 percent were under 40.
The average age at graduation between 1995 and 2000 was 30.9. Among those who graduated in 1985 or earlier, it was 23.9.

The U.S. Department of Labor has identified registered nursing as the top occupation in terms of job growth through 2012. More than 1 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by then.

Nursing Faculty

The average age of doctorally prepared nursing faculty in baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs holding the rank of professor is 57.3. Among associate professors, the average age is 55; among assistant professors, it is 51.
The average age at which nursing faculty members retire is 62.5.
Less than 7 percent of nursing doctoral students are younger than 35; the median age for all research doctorate awardees is 33.
The average time from enrollment to degree completion for nursing PhDs is 8.3 years; for all research doctorate awardees, it is 6.8 years.
In 2003–04, only 412 students graduated from nursing doctoral programs. Almost one-fourth of these graduates said they did not plan to work in academic settings.
In 1992, 68 percent of all registered nurses with nursing doctorates were employed in baccalaureate colleges or institutions that offer higher degrees. By 2000, only 49 percent were so employed.

Nursing Schools

To take the examination for licensure as a registered nurse, candidates must complete one of three academic programs: a baccalaureate degree, an associate degree, or a diploma program. A handful of nurses receive their prelicensure education in generic master’s programs.
Enrollment in entry-level baccalaureate nursing programs rose by 13 percent from 2004 to 2005, the fifth consecutive year that enrollments increased after having declined for six years previously.
In 2005, more than 147,000 qualified applicants were denied admission to nursing programs at all levels. Among them, 33,000 were turned away from baccalaureate programs, and 110,000 were not admitted to associate programs. (Some applicants may be counted more than once if they applied to more than one program.)
Seventy-five percent of nursing schools cited a faculty shortage as the primary reason for not accepting qualified applicants.

Nursing Faculty Shortage

In a 2004 survey by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the 395 responding nursing schools offering baccalaureate or graduate programs identified 717 vacancies. In addition, they cited a need for an additional 122 faculty positions to accommodate student demand.
The national nurse faculty vacancy rate at baccalaureate and graduate nursing schools is more than 8 percent. More than half of these vacancies require a doctoral degree.

Nursing Salaries

The average salary in 2004–05 for full professors at baccalaureate institutions was $74,408; for associate professors, it was $57,468; for assistant professors, it was $47,834. In contrast, the median 2002–03 salaries for nonacademic positions such as vice president for nursing was $113,100; for nurse anesthetist, it was $105,890; for nursing director, it was $93,344; for nurse practitioners, it was $69,407.
The 2005 salary range for full-time clinical nurses at one Boston hospital was $54,000 to $116,000.