Nearby states, population growth strain Idaho's nurse supply
BOISE, Idaho -- Idaho continues to experience pockets of severe nursing shortages while better paying jobs in surrounding states are attracting Idaho's nursing graduates, according to a recently released report from the Idaho Department of Labor.
The report, issued late last month, found that southwestern Idaho faces the biggest challenge of finding enough nurses because it's nestled in the state's fastest-growing region with the highest aging population. Meanwhile, the competition over health care workers has also tightened in northern Idaho because of its proximity to the Washington border, a state concurrently facing a nursing workforce deficit.
In contrast, south-central Idaho is seeing a surplus of nurses who provide basic medical care in hospitals and nursing homes because of the College of Southern Idaho's program that produces licensed practical and vocational nurses. For example, the college produced 47 licensed practical nurses in 2016 when the projected demand was only 13.
In eastern Idaho, Brigham Young University-Idaho produces more than 230 registered nurses each year when the demand is around 70. However, the region is in need of more advanced nurses with more expertise.
Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/business/article154424754.html
