This week was nurse appreciation week, but Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center had seen a decrease in the number of nurses in the state and the country. According to TTUHSC Dean and Professor Dr. Holly Wei, around 138,000 nurses have left the workforce since 2022.
“Additionally, Texas leads the nation in rural health at the risk of rural hospital closures. When hospitals shut down services or departments, it’s not just reducing the care access, but also eliminates jobs and weakens the local economy. These closures impact community stability. Hospitals are usually the one of the largest employers in the area,” Dr. Wei said.
Dr. Wei highlighted several reasons for the nurse shortage, including the nationwide increase in demand for care and not enough men and women going to nursing school.
“The demands of long hours, persistent staffing shortages, and continued high-pressure work conditions have led many nurses to step away from best side care or leave the profession entirely,” Dr. Wei said.
To combat the shortage, Dr. Wei explained TTUHSC had ramped up recruiting across the state, working on getting more nurses placed in rural counties and expanding flexible online courses.
“We’ve also strengthened the academic and practice partnership to expand the clinical training opportunities and to implement the innovative nurse tech models,” Dr. Wei said.
