Understanding Oregon’s Nursing Workforce Supply, Demand and Distribution

Cover page of Understanding Oregon’s Nursing Workforce: Supply, Demand, and Distribution (2022—2024) research report

Shifting narratives around Oregon’s nursing workforce reveal a more complex reality than a simple shortage. Growth in licensed professionals contrasts with persistent hiring challenges across specific regions and care settings. A closer look highlights how workforce distribution and employment conditions shape access to care across the state.

Nursing Supply Infographic 2024

A visual overview highlights the composition, education, and practice settings of nurses across Oregon’s healthcare system. Key graphics illustrate who makes up the workforce and where care is delivered throughout the state. Designed for quick insight, the infographic offers a snapshot of nursing’s central role in Oregon’s health infrastructure.

2025 Oregon’s Nurse Well-Being

Cover infographic visualizing nurse well-being trends from 2022 to 2025, highlighting stress levels, support needs, and emotional symptoms.

Persistent stress and emotional fatigue continue to weigh on Oregon’s nursing workforce, even as the emergency phase of the pandemic has passed. Most nurses still manage their mental health independently, and day-to-day work pressures remain the top reported stressor. The need for organizational change is clear as systemic strain endures across the profession.

Oregon Healthcare Workforce Index: Understanding Nursing in the Broader Healthcare Labor Market

Cover of the 2025 Oregon Healthcare Workforce Index Report highlighting interdependent workforce dynamics

Nursing shortages don’t happen in isolation as they reflect deeper workforce dynamics. This index reveals how interconnected roles like medical assistants, respiratory therapists, and advanced practitioners impact Oregon’s nursing workforce. Built from public employment and wage data, the tool offers a new lens for planning healthcare workforce strategies across the state.

BRIEF: Oregon’s Nurse Vacancy Crisis

Cover page of Oregon’s Nurse Vacancy Crisis brief, published by the Oregon Center for Nursing in 2024.

Oregon’s nursing workforce is growing, yet critical care roles remain unfilled. Traditional shortage narratives fail to capture deeper retention challenges affecting direct care. This brief reframes the problem and outlines urgent strategies to stabilize and support the profession.

How Much Do Oregon’s Registered Nurses Earn? 2023 Oregon Wage Study

Cover image of the "2023 Oregon’s Registered Nurse Wage Study" report from the Oregon Center for Nursing.

Compensation insights from more than 1,800 Oregon nurses uncover striking wage disparities by setting, role, and geography. From public health to hospital work, the findings offer a deep dive into how pay structures impact equity and sustainability in the nursing workforce. The report empowers leaders with data to guide retention and workforce planning.

Barriers to Nursing Workforce Retention and Attraction in Rural Areas

Cover image for the 2023 report "Barriers to Nursing Workforce Retention and Attraction in Rural Areas" by OCN.

In Oregon’s rural communities, complex socioeconomic barriers continue to hinder nursing workforce stability. This qualitative study explores the real-world challenges healthcare employers face in retaining and attracting nurses across community-based settings. Findings from Coos County offer data-driven insights and next-step solutions tailored to underserved regions.

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