Oregon’s healthcare employers continue to experience growing instability in the nursing workforce, with vacancy and turnover rates escalating across all major sectors. The 2015 OCN Survey of Nurse Employers revealed particularly high turnover in long term care and rising vacancy rates in home health, hospice, and public health settings. Hospitals, while employing the largest share of nurses, also reported increased reliance on contract labor and more difficulty recruiting specialty RNs. These patterns suggest deepening strain in both acute and community-based care.
Projections from the Health Resources and Services Administration model point to a steady rise in demand for registered nurses through 2025, with long term care needs expected to grow by over 40%. Despite this, current trends in supply suggest Oregon could fall short by thousands of nurses if existing education and retention systems remain unchanged. Employers across sectors expect increased need for nurses with advanced degrees, yet many struggle to attract and retain staff for even baseline roles.
While modest efforts like delayed retirements and a 5% increase in nursing graduates offer temporary relief, they are unlikely to close the projected gap. A combination of strategic retention, expanded education pipelines, and sector-specific workforce development will be essential to meeting Oregon’s nursing needs over the next decade.
