THE 2007 ILLINOIS NURSING WORKFORCE SURVEY REPORT October 2007 Conducted for: The State of Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Contractor: National Research Corporation Lincoln, NE TABLE OF CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................... v Licensed Practical Nurse................................................................................................... vi Registered Nurse............................................................................................................... vii Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) ..................................................................................... viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUTION................................................................................................1-1 Methodology .................................................................................................................... 1-1 Sample..............................................................................................................................1-2 The Survey Instrument .....................................................................................................1-4 Data Collection and Analysis ..........................................................................................1-5 Organization of the Report ..............................................................................................1-5 CHAPTER 2: LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES...............................................................2-1 Demographics..................................................................................................................2-1 Licensing and Education..................................................................................................2-6 Employment......................................................................................................................2-9 CHAPTER 3: REGISTERED NURSES..................................................................................3-1 Demographics..................................................................................................................3-1 Licensing and Education..................................................................................................3-6 Employment......................................................................................................................3-9 CHAPTER 4: ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSES ...............................................................4-1 Demographics..................................................................................................................4-1 Licensing and Education..................................................................................................4-6 Employment......................................................................................................................4-9 CHAPTER 5: REVIEW OF CHARACTERISTICS..............................................................5-1 Demographics..................................................................................................................5-1 Employment......................................................................................................................5-5 CHAPTER 6: DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................6-1 The Aging Workforce .......................................................................................................6-1 Recruitment and Retention...............................................................................................6-2 Nursing Faculty Shortage................................................................................................6-4 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................6-5 - i - DIRECTORY OF APPENDICES APPENDIX A: ILLINOIS HEALTH SERVICE AREA (HSA) MAP AND STATEWIDE DATA APPENDIX B: HSA 1 - ILLINOIS COUNTIES OF BOONE, CARROLL, DEKALB, JO DAVIESS, LEE, OGLE, STEPHENSON, WHITESIDE, AND WINNEBAGO APPENDIX C: HSA 2 - ILLINOIS COUNTIES OF BUREAU, FULTON, HENDERSON, KNOX, LASALLE, MARSHALL, MCDONOUGH, PEORIA, PUTNAM, STARK, TAZEWELL, WARREN, AND WOODFORD APPENDIX D: HSA 3 - ILLINOIS COUNTIES OF ADAMS, BROWN, CALHOUN, CASS, CHRISTIAN, GREENE, HANCOCK, JERSEY, LOGAN, MACOUPIN, MASON, MENARD, MONTGOMERY, MORGAN, PIKE, SANGAMON, SCHUYLER, AND SCOTT APPENDIX E: HSA 4 - ILLINOIS COUNTIES OF CHAMPAIGN, CLARK, COLES, CUMBERLAND, DEWITT, DOUGLAS, EDGAR, FORD, IROQUOIS, LIVINGSTON, MACON, MCLEAN, MOULTRIE, PIATT, SHELBY, AND VERMILION APPENDIX F: HSA 5 - ILLINOIS COUNTIES OF ALEXANDER, BOND, CLAY, CRAWFORD, EDWARDS, EFFINGHAM, FAYETTE, FRANKLIN, GALLATIN, HAMILTON, HARDIN, JACKSON, JASPER, JEFFERSON, JOHNSON, LAWRENCE, MARION, MASSAC, PERRY, POPE, PULASKI, RANDOLPH, RICHLAND, SALINE, UNION, WABASH, WASHINGTON, WAYNE, WHITE, AND WILLIAMSON APPENDIX G: HSA 6 - CITY OF CHICAGO APPENDIX H: HSA 7 - DUPAGE COUNTY AND SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY APPENDIX I: HSA 8 - ILLINOIS COUNTIES OF KANE, LAKE, AND MCHENRY APPENDIX J: HSA 9 - ILLINOIS COUNTIES OF GRUNDY, KANKAKEE, KENDALL, AND WILL APPENDIX K: HSA 10 - ILLINOIS COUNTIES OF HENRY, MERCER, AND ROCK ISLAND APPENDIX L: HSA 11 - ILLINOIS COUNTIES OF CLINTON, MADISON, MONROE, AND ST. CLAIR APPENDIX M: LPN COVER LETTER AND QUESTIONNAIRE APPENDIX N: RN COVER LETTER AND QUESTIONNAIRE APPENDIX O: APN COVER LETTER AND QUESTIONNAIRE - ii - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS NRC wishes to thank all those who contributed to this study and final report. We would especially like to thank: • The Governor of Illinois, Rod R. Blagojevich, the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Dean Martinez, and the Director of Professional Regulations, Daniel Bluthardt, for their support and interest in the study of the nursing workforce. • The Illinois Center for Nursing Advisory Board: Michele Bromberg, MSN, APN, BC, Nursing Coordinator for the State of Illinois, chairperson, Advisory Board Bridget A. Cahill, MS, APN/NP-C Kathryn Christiansen, D.N.Sc., R.N., FAAN Nancy Cutler, MS, RN, CRRN Susan Ehlers, MSN, RN Linda Fahey, MSN, RN Donna L. Hartweg, PhD, RN Marcia C. Maurer, PhD, RN James M. Renneker, MSN, RN, CNA-BC, CHE Maureen E. Shekleton, D.N.Sc., R.N., FAAN Deborah Terrell, RN, D.N.Sc, CFNP • Peggy O’Neill Hewlett, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Dean and Professor at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing and a member of the 2000 cohort of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellowship Program, and Kim Welch Hoover, Ph.D., RN, Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Evaluation at the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing and a member of the 2007 cohort of the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellowship Program, for their guidance and counsel as Nursing Workforce Consultants for this project. - iii - Special thanks to the nurses licensed in Illinois who responded to the survey. The feedback you provided will make a signification contribution to planning of the health services in Illinois, specifically the focus on the nursing workforce. - iv - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This nursing workforce survey was authorized and implemented to better estimate and understand the impact of the current nursing workforce status and projected nursing shortage. This survey occurred in July of 2007 and consisted of three questionnaires, one for each of three licensure categories of nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Registered Nurses (RNs), and Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs). The questionnaire for a nursing category included a set of core items that were shared across the three questionnaires and a set of items that were specific to the nursing category. The total number of LPNs, RNs, and APNs reported as actively licensed in Illinois at the time of the survey was 185,557. Of these 185,557 licensed nurses, 14% were LPNs, 83% were RNs, and 3% were APNs. Representative samples of LPNs and RNs were surveyed from all eleven Health Service Areas (HSAs) in Illinois; all APNs licensed in Illinois were surveyed due to the lower number of licensed APNs in the state. This report is intended to give the reader information across a variety of categories, including the Illinois nursing workforce demographics, employment settings, working conditions, salaries, satisfiers with nursing as a career and current employment, retirement eligibility and intention, potential barriers to continuing education, and interest in joining the teaching ranks. Approximately 86% of licensed nurses living in Illinois reported they were working in a nursing or nursing-related position, representing a 3% increase when compared to prior surveys. In addition, 71% of nurses reported working between 31 and 50 hours per week, a slight decrease from the 73% that was previously reported. One-fifth of the licensed nurses reported working more than one job. Of those who were not employed, the majority (54%) reported they were retired and 17% were actively looking for employment. These percentages represented an increase in the number of retired respondents and of those seeking employment when compared to prior years. Almost all nurses licensed in Illinois (94%) reported also working within the state, a percentage that is comparable to what has been previously reported. Hospitals, clinics, medical practices, and nursing homes remained among the most common work settings for nurses. Following the trends identified