Registered Nurse Migration to the United States and the Impact on Long-Term Care

The worsening shortage of registered nurses (RNs) will further burden long-term care (LTC) settings in the United States. In a recent survey, 94% of nursing homes (NHs) and 81% of assisted living communities reported staffing shortages; 73% and 59%, respectively, reported that their workforce situation worsened during COVID-19.1 More than 46 million older adults aged ≥65 years live in the United States, with 90 million expected by 2050.2 Rapid population aging drives demand for RNs in LTC, and migration of foreign-educated nurses (FENs) is critical to help address nursing shortages.