New Survey Suggests Nursing Shortage Looming in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A new survey suggests Illinois may soon face a shortage of registered nurses as more and more baby boomers retire.

The survey was conducted by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The voluntary survey was completed by nearly 53,000 registered nurses or around 30 percent of the total in Illinois.

One-third of all registered nurses 55 and older said they intend to retire within the next five years. That potentially will leave voids in psychiatric, school and other nursing specialties.

Maureen Shekleton holds the advisory board chair at the Illinois Center for Nursing. She says understanding just what’s happening to the nursing workforce is vital to long-term planning and to ensuring there are enough nurses to meet the state’s medical care needs.

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