Jersey Nurses Continue to Struggle

COVID-19 is sort of like my cell phone addiction. No matter what I do, I just cant get rid of it.

Over three years after the virus went global, the effects of the pandemic are still haunting us in sectors throughout the economy. None, however, as detrimentally as New Jersey Nursing.

In just about 4 years, over thirty percent of New Jersey nurses have either retired, or left the state completely. Thats about 50,000 in the short period of time, and the struggle to replace those losses is real.

The current rates predict a shortage of about 11,400 nurses by the year 2030, making the state the third worst staffed in the country.

Why?

In short, nurses are burnt out.

The extreme stress of dealing with countless patients over a short period of time proved to be too much for many nurses, especially those who were older.

When some quit, others have to make up for the lost labor, then these nurses get burnt out, and create a cycle of overworking and understaffing that has lead to the issues the state faces today.

Nationwide, over 100,000 nurses left due to the stresses of the pandemic, and 800,000 plan to leave by 2027.

What Now?

Due to the worrisome future, Holy’s Name Nursing School secured a $3.8 million federal grant to train more nurses and relieve stress on the aging workforce.

On the personal side, go thank a nurse and buy them a coffee the next time you see one at a wawa. Maybe even convince your little cousin to get into the profession, every potential nurse is a potential life saver.

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