The best (and worst) states for nurses in 2021, according to WalletHub
WalletHub released earlier this month.
Report details
For the report, WalletHub researchers assessed all 50 states on 22 weighted metrics grouped into two dimensions, Opportunity & Competition and Work Environment.
Overall nursing school quality;
The number of nursing-job openings per capita; and
The number of nurses per 1,000 residents.
The researchers based the remaining 30% of the score on 12 metrics related to work environment, including:
Any mandatory overtime restrictions;
The ratio of nurses to hospital beds; and
Whether a state has a nursing licensure compact law.
State rankings
WalletHub gave every state an overall ranking, as well as separate Opportunity & Competition and Work Environment rankings.
A study of nurses in the US has found that nurses who had a “sense of mastery” or control at work were most protected against anxiety and depression during the pandemic.
The survey also concluded that anxiety and depression could be reduced with effective training about personal protective equipment (PPE) and by having supportive co-workers.
“A critical part of the response to Covid-19 should be supporting the mental health of our frontline workers”
Christine Kovner
Researchers at New York University’s Rory Meyers College of Nursing examined factors that helped nurses responding to Covid-19 thrive and those that challenged mental health.