During most of the 2000s, internationally trained nurses made up about 10-15% of all new RNs that came on-line in the US. These numbers disappeared with the onset of retrogression in January 2008. The retrogression, now in its fourth year, has eviscerated the number of foreign-trained RNs.
In 2008, about 51,373 internationally educated RNs passed the NCLEX exam. In 2011, that number has been more than halved to 23,266, a drop of about 28,000. Fortunately for US healthcare users, US-educated RNs have filled half of the gap; about 14,000 more US-educated nurses now take the NCLEX-RN then did in 2008.
While the US nursing shortage certainly has eased in recent months, economists and government officials all agree that this is a temporary condition. By the end of the decade the US could be short 250,000 to 1 million nurses, depending on whose estimates you read.
| NCLEX-RN Test Takers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| US Educated | Int’l Educated | Total | |
| 2008 | 158,385 | 51,373 | 209,758 |
| 2009 | 161,362 | 40,622 | 201,984 |
| 2010 | 167,597 | 30,178 | 197,775 |
| 2011 | 172,041 | 23,266 | 195,307 |
Source: NCSBN Fact Sheets