The nurse labor market

The national shortage of nurses, which grew to crisis proportions in many communities in the late 1970s, has subsided. Recent evidence suggests that hospital nurse vacancy and turnover rates have declined significantly since 1979. The recent swift reversal in the availability of nurses, from shortage to waiting lists in some hospitals, has taken many by surprise. It also raises the possibility that greater understanding of the factors that influence the market for nurses might make it possible to avert future shortages.