SD expected to have nursing shortage by 2030

South Dakota News Watch reports the state is one of seven expected to have a nursing shortage by 2030. News Watch cited a release by RegisteredNursing.org for its reporting regarding the potential shortage. The organization used Bureau of Health Workforce data, showing South Dakota will need 1,900 nurses to meet the demands of the population by the end of the decade. That puts the state 14 percent behind the necessary numbers. That is projected to be the third worst in the nation, behind Alaska at 22.7 percent and South Carolina at 16.6 percent. This is shortage is expected to be exacerbated in rural areas due to distances from health care facilities and other economic challenges.