trying to find answers to
the nursing shortages
and consequent problems

answers to the nursing shortages discussed in testimony before the committee on health, education, labor, and pensions

 GAO

For Release on Delivery Expected at 9:30 am Thursday, May 17, 2001

United States General Accounting Office

Testimony Before the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, U.S. Senate NURSING WORKFORCE Recruitment

and Retention of Nurses and Nurse Aides Is a Growing  Concern

Statement of William J. Scanlon

Director, Health Care Issues

GAO-01-750T

Chairman Jeffords, Ranking Member Kennedy, and Members of the Committee:

I am pleased to be here today as you discuss issues related to the current recruitment and retention of nursing staff, including both nurses and nurse aides, and concerns about the future supply of these workers. The health and long-term care systems in the United States rely heavily on the services of both nurses and nurse aides, the two largest groups of health care workers. Considerable attention has been given to the nurse workforce, and several witnesses recently testified before this committees Subcommittee on Aging about nursing shortages throughout the country.

Very little attention, however, has been given to the characteristics and supply of nurse aides, who provide most of the direct care for persons in nursing homes and those receiving home health care services.

To assist the Congress as it considers a range of possible federal efforts to ensure that consumers receive quality health and long-term care services, you requested that we review current data on the nurse workforce and examine in more detail the nurse aide workforce in hospitals, nursing homes, and home health care. Accordingly, my remarks will focus on

1. factors contributing to the current and anticipated shortage among nurses
2. what is known about the current and projected supply of nurse aides and the factors contributing to the current and anticipated shortage, and
3. government and private efforts to improve recruitment and retention of nurse aides

In addition you requested we provide a detailed demographic, employment, wage, and benefit profile of nurse aides in the different employment settings. This information is presented in appendix I.

To provide information on the nurse workforce, we relied primarily on published reports and data from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), industry and professional associations, researchers, and other experts.

To develop information on the nurse aide workforce, we

1. analyzed recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Current Population Survey (CPS) and Occupational Employment Statistics (OES);
2. interviewed experts, industry and professional association representatives, and federal and state agency officials; and
3. conducted a review of the relevant professional and research literature.

We performed our work from January through May 2001 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.

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