As the population ages, it’s a double‑edged sword for health care employers: The number of workers continues to decline as the need for nursing and home health workers continues to grow.
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s Office of Economic Advisors released a 2024 report stating the number of registered nurses will need to grow by 11,000 by 2040. That does not include other fields where shortages are also predicted; these include CNAs, phlebologists and respiratory therapists.
Forward Analytics, the research arm of the Wisconsin Counties Association, predicts 10,000 more health care workers will be needed before the end of the decade to tend to the rising number of baby boomers in their 70s and beyond. A recent study predicted 9,900 new registered nurses, CNAs and home health aides will be needed by 2030 to maintain the current level of care being received at nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
“Across the board, we are seeing a decline in the overall number of health care workers since more are retiring than entering the field,” says Anthony Snyder, CEO of the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board (FVWDB). “At the same time, we see a need for more people entering the health care workforce.”
The FVWDB recently finished a grant that allowed it to provide training to people in certain health care careers in rural areas. The Collaboration of Wisconsin (COW) Rural Investment in Community Healthcare was awarded to the Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board, which shared it with workforce development boards in rural areas, including the FVWDB and the Bay Area Workforce Development Board.
As part of the program, people interested in health care careers could have their training covered by the grant. To qualify, the individuals must intend to work in specific rural counties due to the large labor shortages in these areas.
“This program directly puts people interested in health care careers into jobs in rural markets,” says Lea Keesler, program coordinator with Forward Service, which ran COW for the FVWDB.
While nursing was a popular career area for program participants, COW also helped train medical assistants and phlebotomists.
Snyder says health care employers in rural markets can find it more challenging to fill their open positions. In the New North, counties included in the grant were western Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Oconto, Waushara and Waupaca.
“Overall, the population of Wisconsin is graying, especially in rural areas. The goal of COW was to provide training to people living in these rural areas to encourage them to stay and work in their communities,” he says.
The graying of the health care workforce is not unique to the New North or Wisconsin, says Bobbi Miller, FVWDB’s business services manager.
“This is happening everywhere, and the issue is compounded by aging baby boomers … the shortage will get worse before it gets better,” she says.
Employers respond
When Valley VNA in Neenah completed its expansion and remodeling project last fall, it not only created a brighter, more spacious home-like facility for its residents, it also built a more inviting work environment for employees.
“Employees now have a great line of sight throughout, which allows better care of patients,” says Angela Franz, Valley VNA’s executive director of assisted living & independent living. “The bathrooms are also larger, which makes it easier for staff to assist our residents as needed.”
The addition of 9,835 square feet allowed Valley VNA to move residents into the new space while the current structure was being remodeled. During the remodeling, several simple changes, such as creating a single location for lifts, made a big difference in improving the workspace for employees, says President and CEO Becky Reichelt.
“Like other health care facilities, it’s a struggle to keep workers. Creating a lighter, more welcoming workplace can make a big difference” in attracting and retaining employees, she says.
As the largest employer in Northeast Wisconsin, ThedaCare realizes the importance of attracting and retaining its workforce and has developed multiple initiatives focused in those areas, including increased pay, flexible work schedules, health and wellness programs, professional development and more, says Kelly Hurt, ThedaCare’s senior vice president of human resources.
Two programs designed to help staff in some roles feel better prepared for their jobs are unique in the market, she adds.
The Advanced Practice Clinician (APC) Fellowship is a 12-month program that provides daily support and exceptional medical training focused on primary and urgent care, fostering positive learning that addresses the needs of team members who are new to their roles.
“The creation of this program will help strengthen health care in our region by increasing new team members’ satisfaction, reducing turnover and improving patient safety,” Hurt says.
The Emergency Nurses Residency Program provides emergency room nurses at ThedaCare’s seven hospitals with increased training to help them be more successful. The program provides new nurses with an 18-week training program focused on building decision-making skills, improving critical judgment, reducing burnout and assisting in acclimation to the emergency department.
Classroom instruction is interspersed with hands-on simulation and on‑the‑job shadowing, says Jackie Anhalt, ThedaCare’s chief nursing officer.
She says the program promotes higher staff retention rates and team member satisfaction while helping reduce new nurse turnover.
“The initial cohort of nurses began studying in June 2023 and is planning to have two to four cohorts annually to ensure there is a pipeline to fill ED nursing needs at all our hospitals,” Anhalt says.
Training for the future
Many employees in the health care field got their start at technical colleges. Whether it’s becoming a certified medical assistant, a licensed practical nurse, a medical assistant or phlebologist, technical colleges provide a wide range of programs to help prepare future employees for their roles with health care providers.
“We are well aware of the shortage in the health care fields. We hear it from area employers as well as from members of our advisory boards,” says Ben McKenzie, dean of Fox Valley Technical College’s health division. “We continue to come up with creative ways to expand access to our students and help them launch successful careers in health care.”
Chris Schatz, dean of health and human services at Moraine Park Technical College, says the Fond du Lac-based institution is constantly looking to fill employers’ demands.
“Every member of our advisory committees tells us they need workers. It’s the aging population, plus people are leaving the workforce, whether they are aging out of the workforce or want to try a job outside of health care,” he says, adding the college has 10 health care associate degree programs and eight programs that are one year or less. “And overall, as the population ages, the workforce shrinks since there aren’t enough new people entering the workforce to replace [those] who are leaving it.”
The Fond du Lac area is also adding health care facilities — Advocate Aurora opened a new hospital in 2024 and Froedtert ThedaCare is opening a new hospital sometime this year — and they all need employees.
“The demand [for workers] is increasing,” Schatz says.
Technical colleges offer several entry points for students interested in health care careers. Depending on the high school, some students can begin taking CNA coursework and receive their degrees before graduation. Students can then enter the workforce, build on that certification with additional education or do both. Traditional and non-traditional students also enroll in the programs, which have some flexibility for working students.
Many programs are part of a career pathway, McKenzie says. For example, students may begin with a CNA degree and come back to earn an associate degree in nursing. Once they have associate degrees, students can earn bachelor’s degrees in nursing at one of the four-year universities with which the technical colleges partner.
“One thing we’ve also seen is that once you begin at an employer, they may pay for your continued education so you can grow in your skills and your job at the same time,” Schatz says. “For employers, they see investing in their employees’ education as a way to guarantee they’ll stay.”
