Nursing shortage predicted by 2036 in SC

South Carolina faces a projected shortage of more than 13,000 nurses by 2036, according to a report by the Federal Health Resources and Services Administration. 

 

The same report expects the Palmetto State to experience the seventh-largest nurse shortage in the U.S., with over 21% of positions unfilled.

 

The national nursing industry is predicted to be short over 330,000 registered nurses by 2036, with states like South Carolina feeling the impact sooner rather than later. The shortage comes from a combination of factors: an aging population, fewer nursing school graduates, and the burnout of COVID-19. 

 

The stress and emotional toll of the pandemic led nearly 100,000 nurses to leave the workforce, with more expected to follow by 2027 to retirement or burnout, according to a 2024 study by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. 

 

By 2035, more than 1.5 million South Carolinians will be over the age of 65, according to the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office. This surge in elderly residents will increase the need for health care services, exacerbating the strain on the state’s nursing workforce.

 

“Having less population [of] nurses and an increase of population needing health-care services is starting to impact the mix,” said Cathy Durham, dean of nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina. 

 

The shortage has affected nursing programs as well, resulting in a lack of faculty and educational resources to train new nurses. MUSC nursing students like Megan Smith said, “I’ve noticed less nurses in the hospitals than usual. I think a lot of them have switched to travel nursing for better pay, which leaves us with less mentorship and more strain on the nurses who are still here.”

 

With 642 nursing faculty spread across statewide institutions, the number of nurses seeking graduate education has trended downward for the past three years, according to the Commission on Higher Education.

 

“We could accept more students into the existing nursing programs in our state if there were additional faculty and hands-on clinical training openings in hospitals to educate our students,” said Jeannette Andrews, dean of the College of Nursing at the University of South Carolina.

 

To address this, the state allocated $10 million annually from the South Carolina Education Lottery to provide bonuses and tuition reimbursement for nursing faculty and students pursuing graduate-level nurse educator programs. The legislature has also pumped $30 million into collegiate nursing programs in South Carolina over the past three years to stem a potential health care crisis.

 

MUSC is also actively working to increase nursing school enrollment by offering discounted tuition and scholarships for technical college graduates and hospital employees. 

 

As she continues her nursing program, Smith said she appreciates the groundwork being done to attract more students in the field. 

 

“It’s a tough time to be in nursing school, but it hasn’t affected my career goals. We know the impact we can make. It’s also comforting seeing the efforts made to address the shortage, even if it’s a long road ahead.”