The global state of nursing is complex and CNOs must understand it to make the most informed decisions.
In the U.S., industry leaders and experts often discuss the nursing shortage and its impact on the healthcare industry. Shortages can leave the entire workforce feeling burned out, resentful, and angry, and the impact on patient care is even greater.
As CNOs work to recruit and retain nurses, both locally and internationally, it's important to understand that the nursing industry in the U.S. is only one piece of the puzzle. Globally, the situation is incredibly complex and the challenges go beyond just workforce shortages.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) State of the world’s nursing 2025 report states that progress in closing workforce gaps has slowed, despite the number of healthcare workers increasing steadily over the last 10 years.
Here are some key findings that CNOs should be aware of.
Nurse employment
According to the report, there are 29.8 million nurses globally, but the distribution and density of those nurses around the world is extremely unequitable and hides a shortage of 5.8 million nurses. Additionally, 78% of nurses are found in countries representing only 49% of the world population, and high-income countries, which are about 17% of the population, contain 46% of nurses globally.
The density of nurses across countries is largely based on income, with high-income countries having 10 times the density of nurses than low-income countries. African and Eastern Mediterranean regions have significantly less nurses than European regions, as defined by WHO.
These facts show a troubling trend throughout the world and indicate a lack of access to healthcare services provided by nurses for large populations. However, the report also showed that the nursing industry has become more professional, with 80% identifying as "professional nurses," and around 70% of them work in public sector facilities.
WHO emphasizes that differentiated roles, scopes of practice, and corresponding compensation are necessary to prevent nurse migration to only countries with better professional opportunities. The report also predicts that the number of nurses will increase to 36 million by 2030, and while the overall shortage will lessen, there will still be inequity in the global density of nurses.
In terms of leadership, the report provides a mixed outlook. According to WHO, 82% of the participating countries reported having a government CNO (GCNO) or a similar position, but their roles in workforce, policy, and planning are undefined.
WHO emphasizes in the report that the gap in governance impacts education, working conditions, patient care quality, and more. GCNOs must have clarified authority and the proper resources so that they can have a hand in important healthcare decisions for each country.
Additionally, 92% of responding countries reported having a regulatory body for nursing, along with competencies (72%), continued professional development (72%), and advanced practice nurse (APN) positions (62%). However, many of the competency standards and APN regulations are different per country, which can complicate nurse qualifications and potentially impact patient safety, according to WHO.
Lastly, most countries reported having laws surrounding minimum wage (94%), social protection measures (92%), and health worker safety (78%), but only 55% reported regulations for working hours and conditions, and 42% reported provisions for mental health and wellbeing. More mental health support and emphasis on healthy work environments are needed for nurses globally if the industry wants to remain sustainable.
The needs of Gen Z nurses and veteren nurses are different, and CNOs need to adjust their plans accordingly.
On this episode of HL Shorts, we hear from Peggy Norton-Rosko, senior vice president and chief nurse executive at the University of Maryland Medical System, Corporate Executive Office, about how CNOs can adjust their retention strategies for nurses at every career stage. Tune in to hear her insights.
WVU Medicine's diploma program gives traditional nursing education a contemporary approach, according to this CNE.
As CNOs across the country look for solutions to the nursing shortage, one key factor to consider is nursing education.
Nurse leaders and education partners must find new ways to increase the number of students entering and graduating from programs, who can then step into clinical roles as fully prepared nurses. Lowering barriers to entry in nursing education takes some creative thinking, and WVU Medicine has found an innovative pathway forward: a hospital-based diploma program.
According to Melanie Heuston, chief nurse executive at WVU Medicine and HealthLeaders Exchange member, the inspiration for the Center of Nursing Education was the nursing shortage.
"When we did an assessment of the state and what was being produced, and how many [nurses] we needed at WVU Medicine, [we realized] many schools were not filling all their seats," Heuston said. "So, we wanted to do something disruptive [and] innovative, and we decided to create our own program."
WVU Medicine is approaching their diploma program differently than traditional diploma programs. Heuston explained that they are looking holistically at the whole person and what support they need to complete their education.
"We created it in the way that we believe nursing should be taught today," Heuston said. "It's traditional nursing education with a contemporary approach."
HealthLeaders sat down with Heuston, live from the CNO Exchange in Nashville, Tennessee, to discuss how WVU Medicine's hospital-based diploma program is revolutionizing nursing education. Tune in to hear her insights.
The HealthLeaders Exchange is an executive community for sharing ideas, solutions, and insights. Please join the community at our LinkedIn page.
For CNOs who want to improve nurse retention, it's important to identify the biggest hurdles.
On this episode of HL Shorts, we hear from Abby Rudy, VP of Nursing, Adult Critical Care at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, about the biggest barriers to nurse retention in 2025. Tune in to hear her insights.
This health system's virtual nursing program has matured into a scalable and sustainable care model since last year.
Virtual nursing is quickly becoming a staple of care delivery in nursing workflows. Creative program expansion is what will keep the ball rolling for health systems who want to continue exploring the technology's potential.
Derek Godino, senior director of nursing at Geisinger, recently gave HealthLeaders an update on the health system's virtual nursing progress over the past year.
Godino is part of the HealthLeaders Virtual Nursing Mastermind program, which brings together several health systems to discuss the ins and outs of their virtual nursing programs and what their goals are for now and the future.
New year, new goals
In 2024, Geisinger had several goals for virtual nursing: to open up the workforce by creating a new role to consider, to improve care quality, and to boost nurse and patient engagement and experience. According to Godino, the program has matured into a scalable and sustainable care model.
"We've optimized workflows and refined our onboarding and training protocols," Godino said.
Additionally, Geisinger has put emphasis on integrating virtual nursing into many different aspects of nursing workflows.
"We've also strengthened our interdisciplinary partnerships and improved the integration of virtual nurses into daily clinical routines," Godino said, "enhancing team cohesion and patient experience."
Going forward, the health system plans to expand virtual nursing services into transitional care and chronic disease management in the post-acute and ambulatory spaces, Godino explained. New technologies are also on the horizon for the program.
"From a technology perspective, we are exploring AI-powered decision support tools, biometric monitoring integration, and more advanced virtual rounding capabilities to improve efficiency and patient engagement," Godino said.
The current strategy
Godino explained that the biggest challenge so far has been ensuring consistent technology infrastructure across sites due to infrastructure requirements and limitations. As of right now, Geisinger is working with two to three primary vendors for technology platforms, hardware, and support services.
"This number has slightly decreased as we've consolidated, to streamline integration and support," Godino said. "We anticipate this may change as we evaluate new partnerships for expansion into outpatient settings or adopt more sophisticated analytics and AI tools."
The health system's staffing strategy has moved towards blending experienced nurses who want flexible or alternative roles with nurses who have specialized skillsets that are ideal for remote care, Godino explained.
"We've aligned our recruitment and retention strategies with these profiles and have invested in remote work support and engagement programs to maintain a strong sense of team identity," Godino said.
To measure the program's results, Geisinger is looking at clinical outcomes, such as falls, readmissions, and escalation events, and operational outcomes, such as staff satisfaction and time savings. Godino said they are also looking at financial metrics, like cost avoidance and length of stay.
"Early data has shown positive trends, particularly in nurse workload reduction and improved patient communication, with ongoing efforts to quantify broader ROI," Godino said.
Onward and upward
Moving forward, Geisinger is looking beyond just virtual nursing. According to Godino, the program will serve as a critical connector between inpatient discharge and outpatient follow-up, specifically for care coordination, chronic condition management, and the Geisinger at Home program.
"By embedding virtual nurses into these models, we can provide continuous, proactive support and reinforce care plan adherence, reducing unnecessary readmissions and improving patient satisfaction," Godino said.
The biggest surprise so far, for Godino, has been how quickly both nurses and patients have adapted to the virtual nursing program.
"The acceptance and appreciation from patients, especially around responsiveness and continuity of care, have exceeded expectations," Godino said.
The HealthLeaders Mastermind seriesis an exclusive series of calls and events with healthcare executives. This Virtual NursingMastermind series features ideas, solutions, and insights intoexcelling your virtual nursing program.Please join the community at our LinkedIn page.
To inquire about participating in an upcoming Mastermind series or attending a HealthLeaders Exchange event, email us at exchange@healthleadersmedia.com.
Solving for staffing, burnout, and workplace violence issues will require thinking differently about solutions, says this CEO.
HealthLeaders spoke to Phil Dickison, CEO of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), about the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study and what CNOs should take from it. Tune in to hear his insights.
As CNOs deal with nursing shortages, it's critical to understand why they are happening.
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) recently published the latest 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study which surveyed 800,000 nurses about the state of the nursing workforce.
According to the study, there are five main reasons that nurses are leaving, according to the data. According to Phil Dickison, CEO of NCSBN, solving these issues will take thinking differently.
"Every one of those numbers is a voice, it is not simply a number on a page," Dickison said in regard to the survey participants. "My argument is that [as leaders] we need to be better about…listening to these voices of the nurses before we invoke solutions."
Prioritizing nurse wellbeing has an impact on the entire workforce, not just nurses, says this nurse thought leader.
On this episode of HL Shorts, we hear from Diane Sieg, Registered Nurse, Author, Coach, and Creator of the Well-Being Coaching Initiative, about how health systems benefit from prioritizing nurse wellbeing. Tune in to hear her insights.
There are five major reasons why nurses are departing from the workforce, according to this new study.
As CNOs deal with nursing shortages, it's critical to understand why they are happening.
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) recently published the latest 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study which surveyed 800,000 nurses about the state of the nursing workforce. According to the study, 40% of participants indicated their intention to leave the workforce in the next five years. The study also reported that 138,000 nurses have left the workforce since 2022.
So why is this happening? Let's take a look.
Why nurses are leaving
There are five main reasons that nurses are leaving, according to the data: stress and burnout, workload, understaffing, inadequate salary, and workplace violence. According to Phil Dickison, CEO of NCSBN, solving these issues will take thinking differently.
"Every one of those numbers is a voice, it is not simply a number on a page," Dickison said in regard to the survey participants. "My argument is that [as leaders] we need to be better about…listening to these voices of the nurses before we invoke solutions."
Dickison stated that more data is necessary to determine which nurses are having certain experiences and which ones are having others. For instance, the stress that an ICU nurse faces might be completely different than what a NICU or med surg nurse might experience.
"We need to find this out because we're doing correlations now, but maybe there's better correlations that stress is higher in those areas," Dickison said. "Intuitively…we might believe that, but is it true? And if it is true, then what are the causes of stress in that area?"
Positive outlooks for the industry
Despite what the study suggests about nurses leaving, there are also some positive trends that can be drawn from the data. According to Dickison, one of the positive results has to do with the number of nurses currently in the workforce. The data show that 88% of RNs and 71% of LPN/VNs are actively involved in nursing, which is a sign that employment levels have rebounded since the height of the pandemic.
"We've started to see a rebound in the size or the number of individuals in the workforce," Dickison said. "We started to see that grow in the right direction."
The study also shows that the median age of the nurse workforce went up as experienced nurses begin to return to the workforce. Additionally, 73% of participants hold a baccalaureate degree or higher, which is the highest educational level for nurses that NCSBN has ever documented. The number of Hispanic and Latino nurses has doubled to 7.2% since 2015, and nurses are experiencing a 10-16% increase in median pre-tax income.
A call to action
Dickinson cautions that though these numbers are good, the question remains about whether the workforce is sustainable. While the survey does show moderation for some of these issues, it's critical that the focus remains on solving them.
"I have this fear that because we're showing moderated stress and burnout data that it will somehow become a backburner issue," Dickison said. "Let's not let that happen, because the fact that we moderated it is a good thing, but it is not solved."
Dickison believes CNOs need to continue prioritizing stress, burnout, salary, and workplace violence even though they might be moderated for the time being.
"We need to prioritize that as a moment in time now to go forward and not just talk about solutions, but seek and implement solutions," Dickinson said.
Dickinson also emphasized that these are multifaceted problems, and CNOs alone will not be able to solve these problems.
"What I would argue [for] at this point is somewhat of a call to action within NCSBN and [to] all of our partners, our clinical partners, our practice partners, our education partners, and our policy partners," Dickison said, "because I think this is not a single solution set."
CNOs must provide career pathways and robust wellbeing support systems to improve nurse retention, say these nurse leaders.
In the latest edition of HealthLeaders' The Winning Edge webinar series, a panel of nurse leaders discussed innovative retention strategies that CNOs can use to foster career growth, prioritize wellbeing, and create a more sustainable work environment.
The discussion included three key takeaways: how to support nurses at every career stage, the importance of providing professional development opportunities, and why it's critical to center nurse wellbeing in retention strategies.
