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The aging of the baby boom generation means that a large proportion of the U.S. population will soon be living with health conditions that may require complex care. At the same time, it’s estimated that a million nurses will retire by 2030, resulting in an enormous loss of experience and knowledge, not to mention the possibility of a national nursing shortage.

Millennials to the rescue? It’s complicated.

Can millennial nurses help mitigate the effects of this workforce shift? As discussed in our February AJN Reports, “Nurses Pass the Baton: Exit Baby Boomers, Enter Millennials,” millennials (born between 1982 and 2000) are becoming nurses in larger numbers than any generation before them. In fact, the nursing workforce is expected to grow by 36% between 2015 and 2030.

Why this surge of millennials? Commentators have speculated that those who reached adulthood during the recent recession may be drawn to the relative job security of the nursing profession, or that this generation is looking for more deeply engaging work.

Whatever the case, researchers aren’t yet sure if the growth in nursing numbers will ultimately be enough to meet the needs of the aging U.S. population. In addition, as editor-in-chief Shawn Kennedy points out in this month’s editorial (“Nurses at the Bedside—Who Will Be Left to Care?“), many millennials in nursing aren’t sticking around to get sustained bedside nursing experience, but are instead opting to return to school for a more advanced degree within a year or two.

Faculty shortages.

Enrollment in nursing programs is rising, but it’s being hindered by a shortage of faculty. In 2016, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing turned away more than 64,000 qualified applicants because of an insufficient number of faculty, among other issues. Compounding the faculty shortage, the retirement of baby boomer nurses will continue to be felt at nursing schools.

The issue of a possible nursing shortage is complex. Some states, like Florida, are believed to be more vulnerable to a shortage than others, like Massachusetts. To get a more in-depth look at these and other related issues, read the entire AJN Reports,

How do you foresee changes to the nursing workforce over the next decade? Leave a comment below.