Nurses by the numbers
The data shows there are enough registered nurses with active licenses in the state for the number of nursing jobs.
October 19, 2022 • 2 minutes, 12 seconds to read
This story was published in the Fall 2022 issue of The Washington Nurse.
WSNA gathered the latest data to create a picture of registered nursing in Washington state. We conferred with researchers at the Washington Center for Nursing to gather this information.
What the data shows is there are enough registered nurses with active licenses in the state for the number of nursing jobs. More data is needed to see where they are all working.
Also, our registered nursing workforce is younger than the national average. And thousands of qualified nursing applicants are being turned away from nursing schools due to not having enough seats — something that has been addressed by the Washington state legislature.
How many registered nursing jobs are there in Washington state?
61,335
Washington State Employment Security Department estimate
Source: Washington State Employment Security Department: Short-Term Occupational Projections 2022.
How many nurses have active licenses in Washington state?
101,239
Source: Moulton Burwell, P. and Flores – Montoya, Angelina (2022). Washington 2021 Nursing Workforce Supply Data Report: Characteristics of LPNs, RNs, and ARNPs. Published at Washington Center for Nursing.
How many registered nurses listed Washington state as their home address?
77,177
Source: Washington 2021 Nursing Workforce Supply Data Report: Characteristics of LPNs, RNs, and ARNPs. May 2022. Published at Washington Center for Nursing.
What percentage of registered nurses work in a hospital setting?
52.4%
Source: Washington 2021 Nursing Workforce Supply Data Report: Characteristics of LPNs, RNs, and ARNPs, May 2022. Published at Washington Center for Nursing.
What percentage of registered nurses in the state are male?
13%
This is greater than the national average of 9.4%
Source: Washington 2021 Nursing Workforce Supply Data Report: Characteristics of LPNs, RNs, and ARNPs, May 2022. Published at Washington Center for Nursing.
How many nurses have considered leaving the profession?
54%
According to a 2021 survey of 1,298 nurses who held an active license
Source: COVID-19 Impact on the Nursing Workforce in 2021 Study, Washington Center for Nursing, September 2022.
How many nurses identify as Black / African American?
3.7%
That compares to 4% of the general population in Washington state; in 2019, 2.3% of nurses identified as Black / African American.
- 11.6% identify as Asian, compared to 10% of the general population.
- 5% identify as Hispanic / Latino, compared to 13% of the general population.
- 2.4% identify as Other / Mixed Race, compared to 5% of the general population.
- 1.5% identify as American Indian / Alaska Native, compared to 2% of the general population.
- 1% identify as Native American / Other Pacific Islander (same as general population).
- 82.7% identify as White / Caucasian, compared to 65% of the general population.
What is the average age of an RN in Washington state?
45
The national median is 52 years
Source: Washington 2021 Nursing Workforce Supply Data Report: Characteristics of LPNs, RNs, and ARNPs, May 2022. Published at Washington Center for Nursing.
What percentage of registered nurses have been licensed for less than 10 years?
62%
Nationally, it is 30.5%
Source: Washington 2021 Nursing Workforce Supply Data Report: Characteristics of LPNs, RNs, and ARNPs, May 2022. Published at Washington Center for Nursing.
What percentage of nurses in Washington state are over 50?
21%
Source: Personal communication, Washington Center for Nursing, Aug. 9, 2022
How many qualified registered nurse applicants are turned away from nursing school every year in the state?
3,200
From 2014-2020, there were a total of 19,402 qualified RN applicants turned away from RN programs in Washington (an overall 50% acceptance rate).
Data limitations do not account for duplicate applicants, potentially inflating applicant numbers.
Source: Flores-Montoya, A. & Moulton Burwell, P. (2022). Washington State Nursing Education Trend Report Academic Years 2014-2020. Published at Washington Center for Nursing.