Nursing shortage is due to state policies
October 12, 2025
We were dismayed to read a news story last week that refers to California’s “severe nursing shortage.”
It’s dismaying not only because of what it means for healthcare, but because such shortages have plagued the state for years.
These persistent shortages upend a key state priority: expanding healthcare to more residents.
There is a shortage of nurses – so much so that it has strained the ability of some hospitals to provide necessary care.
As nurses reach retirement age or leave the profession, California expects a shortage of 61,000 nurses by 2035. Here’s what’s really frustrating, though: There are plenty of qualified young people who want to become nurses.
We have a system that can’t get prospective students trained and certified. As the Los Angeles Times reported, “There is enormous demand for nurses … But despite tens of thousands of students vying to get into nursing programs, schools can’t accommodate the demand.” The article noted one major nursing program has an admission rate of only 3.3%. California mandates 500 hours of clinical training, but hospitals won’t accept sufficient placements.
