The U.S. Nursing Workforce: Trends in Supply and Education
Figures from the report available atbhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/reports/nursingworkforce/
Figure 2. The per Capita RN Workforce, Ranked by State
IdahoHawaii
CaliforniaNew Mexico
OklahomaAlaska
VirginiaWashington
ColoradoMichigan
South CarolinaArkansas
North CarolinaMaryland
IndianaNew York
West VirginiaNew Hampshire
TennesseeWisconsin
OhioPennsylvaniaNorth DakotaRhode Island
NebraskaSouth Dakota
0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400
Figure 4. The per Capita LPN Workforce, Ranked by State
OregonAlaska
NevadaWashingtonNew Mexico
CaliforniaIllinois
MontanaIdaho
New JerseyVermont
North CarolinaSouth Carolina
KentuckyTexas
ConnecticutFlorida
AlabamaSouth Dakota
VirginiaPennsylvania
OhioMississippiOklahomaTennessee
North Dakota0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
Figure 5. Nursing Workforce Distribution in Rural and Urban Areas
Rural444,688
Rural165,980 Rural
52,153,208
Urban2,379,953
Urban524,058 Urban
254,590,000
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
RNs LPNs U.S. Population
Figure 18. NCLEX-RN Passers, 2001 to 2011
68,561
70,474 75,821
85,824 98,365
109,726 116,045
127,592134,027
137,834142,390
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
110,000
120,000
130,000
140,000
150,000
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Pass
ers
Year
107.7%Growth,
2001-2011
Figure 19. Growth in NCLEX-RN First-Time Test Takers, by Bachelor’s and Non-Bachelor’s Degree Status, 2001 to 2011
Figure 20. Total Number and Percentage of NCLEX-RN First-Time Test Takers, by Bachelor’s and Non-Bachelor’s Degree Status, 2001 vs. 2011