Nursing Maldistribution: The Intersection Between Practice Setting and Years of Nursing Experience

Across Oregon’s nursing landscape, experienced RNs increasingly transition into settings such as public health, home health, and education, leaving hospitals and long-term care as the predominant domains for less experienced nurses. This experience-driven pattern creates measurable imbalances in the workforce that align with differing recruitment and turnover rates across settings.

Data show that the likelihood of working in a hospital drops steadily as years of experience increase. Simultaneously, non-hospital settings such as public health, office/clinic, and public policy attract higher concentrations of nurses later in their careers. This distribution dynamic also contributes to high turnover rates in some settings—not from poor recruitment, but due to a higher proportion of retirement-ready RNs.

Understanding how practice setting preferences evolve over time is critical. By examining trends through the lens of experience, rather than age alone, this study reveals clear implications for employers and educators. The findings emphasize the need for more tailored transition programs to support the redistribution of nursing talent, especially into settings most affected by retirements.