Hawai'i's nursing workforce: keeping pace with healthcare.

Nursing is the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, but over the next decade even more nurses will be required. Changing population demographics, new technologies, and evolving models of healthcare will stimulate expansion of nursing roles and the need for a highly educated nursing workforce. The current nursing workforce is aging, and large numbers of retirements are anticipated. By 2025, the United States is expected to experience a nursing shortage; in Hawai'i this shortfall is forecast to be 3,311 professional nurses. Currently there are nine nursing programs across the state in public and private universities and colleges. These programs are partnering to implement the Institute of Medicine's recommendations for the future of nursing. In Hawai'i, nursing practice is being expanded; different pathways to advanced nursing education are being implemented; and nurses are partnering with other groups to reshape healthcare. The Hawai'i State Center for Nursing collects ongoing data on the nursing workforce to inform strategic planning. Current gaps in nursing specialty education include school health and mental health. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of Hawai'i's nursing workforce in relationship to statewide population demographics, healthcare needs and gaps, and then outline steps being taken by the profession to address these needs and gaps while implementing the Institute of Medicine recommendations.