Nurses are needed in California, a fact that has been the subject of much study and analysis. One of the most recent reports is from the Center for California Health Workforce Studies, University of California, San Francisco, titled "Regional Forecasts of the Registered Nurse Workforce in California, August 2006."
This report developed a model it used to forecast the supply of full-time equivalent (FTE) RNs in eight California regions through 2030. New forecasts, as taken directly from the executive summary, demonstrate that
* Most regions of California face a shortage of RNs now.
* All California regions will have a shortage of RNs by 2012.
* The shortage will worsen in all regions between 2012 and 2030, unless policies are enacted to address the problem.
* The area with the greatest need for nurses is the Los Angeles region, which is estimated to have a shortage of 10,000 FTE RNs. The Central Coast region would need at least 25% more FTE RNs to meet estimated demand.
* By 2030 the Northern Counties region is expected to have the greatest share of unfilled RN positions, with nearly 40% of jobs vacant. The Sacramento, Bay Area, Central Valley, and Central Coast regions are projected to have an RN FTE job vacancy rate of more than 30%.
* The largest number of vacant FTE positions in 2030 is expected to be in Los Angeles, which is predicted to need more than 20,000 additional RNs.
The report also makes an interesting point about where the state is getting RNs. One source mentioned is graduates of international nursing programs who immigrate to the region. "California is a gateway state for non-U.S.-educated nurses seeking to practice in the U.S," says the report. A federal government report, "Preliminary Findings: 2004 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses," published in March 2004, has already identified California as the state with the largest proportion of foreign-educated RNs, at 25.5%.
Your Guide to Job Opportunities in California
Cedars-Sinai Health System
8723 Alden Dr., SSB-110
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Contact: Thea Bruzdzinski
(310) 423-6320
Fax: (310) 423-0378
E-mail: mailto:[email protected]
Web site: http://www.csmc.edu/careers
Memorial Medical Center
1800 Coffee Road
Modesto, CA 95355
Contact: Jill Ayres
(209) 572-7194
E-mail: mailto:[email protected]
Web site: http://www.memorialmedicalcenter.org
UCLA Healthcare
10920 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Contact: Sheri Monsein, RN
(866) 895-6690
Fax: (310) 825-3102
E-mail: mailto:[email protected]
Web site: http://hr.healthcare.ucla.edu