There are not enough registered nurses in Wisconsin to meet current demand and the shortage is expected to grow if not addressed, according to a report from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

The Wisconsin Registered Nurse Supply and Demand Forecast Results report began collecting data in 2010 through surveys conducted by the Department of Safety and Professional Services, and models based on this data predict future needs, DWD said in a news release.

The two models in the 2024 report deemed most reliable predict a deficit of between 12,000 and 19,000 nurses by 2040 based on the demographic pressures facing the workforce, DWD said.

Factors cited in the report include high vacancy rates of registered nurses in Wisconsin hospitals and low unemployment rates for nurses. The report noted the demographic trends contributing to the shortage have been decades in the making and may call for a range of solutions to meet patients’ needs.

“Meeting workforce challenges in health care is a driving force behind many DWD initiatives, including new nursing apprenticeships, and it is a primary focus of the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce,” DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek said. “We are working to expand careers in nursing, make training more affordable and bring health care career opportunities to more people.”

The report acknowledges other approaches, including placing extra emphasis on retaining existing nurses, advancing measures that make it possible for nurses to care for more patients, and supporting public health to reduce the number of patients.

The report authors are economist Tom Walsh and senior research analyst Maria del Pilar Casal, both staff members of DWD’s Bureau of Workforce Information and Technical Support. It is online at https://jobcenterofwisconsin.com/wisconomy/pub/nursetabv23.htm.

The Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce was created by Gov. Tony Evers in January to bring state government leaders together with business, community, and education leaders in the health care industry. The effort is aimed at finding sustainable solutions to retain, attract and train skilled workers to address health care workforce shortages, Pechacek said.

More information is available at https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/hc-workforce/index.htm.