The nursing shortage in the United States that was highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic began long before the disease emerged. As early as 2012, researchers predicted that an aging population in the United States would lead to a shortage of nurses, according to a study published by the American Journal of Medical Quality.
Since then, updated numbers have ranked California as the most in need of registered nurses in the country, according to the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, with a predicted shortage of over 44,000 nurse practitioners by 2030.
COVID-19 delivered a double whammy to the health care system when elective surgeries were cancelled and in-patient services limited to prevent the spread of disease, all while an increased number of patients needed to be seen in emergency rooms and intensive care units. This resulted in displaced surgical nurses and burned-out ER nurses.
Unless more students choose to study nursing, the shortage will only get worse.
Fortunately, the shortage has a silver lining for registered nurses. Hospitals and primary care facilities must compete to attract qualified RNs to fill their vacancies. This has led to competitive wages and benefits across the market. The median pay for an RN in California is about $73,000, according to salary.com, but pay can vary from one part of the state or one nursing specialty to another.
For instance, traveling nurses have been known to make more than the median pay for RNs in any given area. Travel nursing has gained popularity in recent years as areas especially hard hit by COVID or facilities struggling with lack of staffing have reached out beyond their communities to find RNs willing to fill temporary needs.
“Travel nurses take on short-term assignments, which typically start at 13 weeks, ensuring that patients receive quality care even if a facility is having trouble filling open nursing positions,” according to travelnursing.com. “In exchange for their experience and flexibility, travel nurses typically get paid more than staff nurses.”
This pay differential is evident on salary.com, where a job posting for a traveling operating room RN was listed for $1,782 per week, a traveling emergency department RN job was posted for $3,228 per week, and a cardiac catherization lab was offering $4,140 per week to a nurse with the right skill set.
Earning a nursing degree in Santa Barbara
Three main schools in the Santa Barbara area offer nursing programs, according to Nursing Schools Almanac:
- San Joaquin Valley College offers a certificate of completion in vocational nursing.
- Allan Hancock College offers a certificate in vocational nursing, an associate degree in nursing, and an associate of science degree in vocational nursing.
- Santa Barbara City College offers a certificate in vocational nursing and an associate degree in nursing.
Vocational nursing programs take one to two years to complete. An associate’s degree in nursing takes about two years, after which graduates can test to earn the registered nurse credential and optionally transfer to a four-year university to finish 45 credits and earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Costs vary based on the program. In California, the average cost of a one-year full-time licensed vocational nurse program is $5,920, including tuition and program fees but can range from $4,000 to $30,000, according to nursinglicensure.org.
Many students qualify for financial aid, grants, or scholarships. Students should contact the financial aid office at their school and apply every year through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid program to maximize financial aid.