A PROFILE OF ACTIVE REGISTERED NURSES IN NEW YORK - Key findings on New York RN demographics, education, and practice

Sep 5, 2026

Uploaded by Aria

This research brief profiles active registered nurses in New York using survey responses collected at initial licensure and at license renewal between December 2007 and September 2010. It highlights workforce age structure, showing that more than half of RNs are 50 years or older, and examines gender composition, with nearly 94% female. It also analyzes diversity by race/ethnicity, the role of foreign-trained RNs, and educational attainment by highest degree. Findings include substantial regional variation, hospital-centered employment, and workforce turnover expectations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Key Findings

Age and gender distribution

Diversity and foreign-trained composition

Education levels and regional variation

Employment settings and expected turnover

A PROFILE OF ACTIVE REGISTERED NURSES IN NEW YORK Center for Health Workforce Studies, School of Public Health, University at Albany January 2011 BACKGROUND Registered nursing is the single largest health profession in New York. Clearly, RNs are vital to the delivery of healthcare services in New York today. The passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 has heightened concern about future shortages ofRNs. Demand for their services may grow with the implementation of health reform initiatives. Basic information on the supply and distribution of RNs in New York serves as a critical starting point for an analysis of the state’s nursing workforce. Today, there are more than 270,000 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in the state. Since December 2007, the Center for Health Workforce Studies, with support from the New York State Departments of Health and Education, has been conducting a survey of RNs in the state at the time of initial licensure and at license renewal. Between December 2007 and September 2010, over 97,600 surveys were returned, representing 37% of all licensed RNs in the state. Just over 82% of survey respondents were actively working in nursing and 9% were retired. This research brief is based on survey responses and provides information about active RNs in New York, including demographic, educational, and practice characteristics. KEY FINDINGS • More than half of RNs in New York are 50 years of age or older. • New York’s nursing workforce is not as diverse as the state’s population. • Foreign-trained RNs comprise about 15% of the nursing workforce in the state. • Just over 37% of RNs statewide report a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) as their highest degree, while more than 35% report an associate degree in nursing (ADN) as Figure 1: Percent of New York RNs by Region their highest degree. Reporting BSN as Highest Degree • There is wide regional variation in the highest educational levels reported by RNs. • Almost half of RNs in New York City report a BSN as their highest degree, and one-third of these RNs are foreign-trained. • Less than 20% of RNs in the North Country report a BSNas their highest nursing degree. • More RNs work in hospitals than any other setting. • About 12% of RNs expect to leave their current position in the coming year and nearly one-quarter of those leaving indicate they will retire from nursing. More than half of RNs in the state are 50 years of age or older. Nearly 94% of RNs in the state are female, with a median age of 51. By contrast, the median age of the civilian workforce in the state is 41.1 New York’s nursing workforce is less diverse than the state’s population. Blacks/African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos are underrepresented in the state’s nursing workforce compared to their presence in the state’s population. Fewer than 4% of RNs in the state are Hispanic/ Latino, while more than 16% of the state’s population is Hispanic/Latino. Blacks/ African Americans comprise just over 12% of New York’s nursing workforce, but represent nearly 15% of the state’s population. Asians are overrepresented in the nursing workforce (12%) compared to their presence in the state’s population (7%) . Figure 2: Race/Ethnicity of New York RNs Compared To New York’s Population2,3 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 68.7% 60.3% White Asian/Pacific Islander Black/Afric an American Hispanic/Latino Other/Multiple NY Population NY RN Workforce Foreign-trained RNs are an important part of the nursing workforce in the state. Figure 3: Percentage of RNs by Country of Training and by Region Capital District Central NY Finger Lakes Hudson Valley Long Island Mohawk Valley New York City North Country Southern Tier Western NY 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Trained in U. S. Trained Outside of U.S. 1 U. S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2008. 2 U. S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2005—2009 five-year estimates. 3 All ra

FAQs

What data sources and survey timeframe support the profile of active RNs in New York?

The brief is based on RN survey responses collected at initial licensure and at license renewal by the Center for Health Workforce Studies. Surveys were conducted between December 2007 and September 2010, with over 97,600 returned and representing 37% of licensed RNs.

What are the key age and gender characteristics of active RNs in New York?

More than half of RNs are 50 years of age or older. Nearly 94% of RNs are female, with a median age of 51.

How do educational attainment and foreign training differ across regions and degrees?

Just over 37% report a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) as their highest degree, while more than 35% report an associate degree (ADN). Regional variation is wide: almost half of RNs in New York City report a BSN as their highest degree, and one-third of these are foreign-trained; less than 20% in the North Country report a BSN. Among RNs whose highest degree is a BSN, one in five was trained outside the U.S.

Sep 5, 2026

Uploaded by Aria