How does the supply of Michigan’s nursing workforce compare nationally and to our Great Lakes neighbors?
According to a recent report by the Health Resources and Services Administration, Michigan is near the national average of several key nursing workforce supply measures, but is lagging behind our Great Lakes neighbors.
Michigan has a smaller per-capita number of nurses than many of our neighbors. There are 902 nurses for every 100,000 people in Michigan, compared with 985 in Indiana, 1073 in Wisconsin, and 1098 in Ohio.
Michigan fares better in the future supply of nurses, particularly with the number of future nurses entering the profession with at least a bachelor’s degree. In 2010, there were 2,031(20.5 for every 100,000 Michigan residents) BSN graduates taking the NCLEX-RN for the first time in Michigan.
This is near the average of all the Great Lakes states, ahead of Illinois and Minnesota, but behind Indiana and Ohio.
What does this mean for Michigan’s patients and public health?
First, Michigan needs to invest in new models of interprofessional education and team-based care to ensure there are enough high-functioning health care teams to deliver care to Michigan’s 10 million citizens.
Additionally, expanding the pipeline of education programs by increasing the number of trained faculty, clinical rotation spots, and available high-quality education options is essential to expanding the supply of Michigan’s nurses.
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