The Best States for Nurses - See Where RI Ranks
Thursday, May 04, 2017
From Rhode Island Hospital to Women & Infants to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Rhode Island is home to many nurses, but where does Rhode Island rank among the best states in the U.S. for nurses?
According to a recent study done by WalletHub, Rhode Island is ranked 19th in the U.S. for nurses.
“Like most segments of the economy, the nursing industry is in a state of significant transition under the weight of major socioeconomic dynamics — from the aging U.S. population to the student-loan crisis to concerns about the future of key entitlement programs. But such concerns are not unique among recent graduates, regardless of industry,” said WalletHub.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTRhode Island ranks 43rd for opportunity and competition while ranking 4th for work environment.
The Rankings
Rhode Island ranks behind Illinois and Nebraska, who rank 17th and 18th respectively. Rhode Island ranks ahead of South Carolina and Connecticut, who rank 20th and 21st respectively.
Wisconsin is ranked as the best state in the U.S. for nurses, while the District of Columbia is ranked as the worst state in the U.S. for nurses.
See the full rankings in the map below
The Method
In order to determine the best and worst states for nurses, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across two key dimensions, namely “Opportunity & Competition” and “Work Environment.”
They evaluated those dimensions using 18 relevant metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for nurses.
They then calculated the total score for each state and the District based on its weighted average across all metrics and used the resulting scores to construct our final ranking.
Opportunity & Competition – Total Points: 70
- Monthly Average Starting Salary for Nurses: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
- Average Annual Salary for Nurses: Double Weight (~13.35 Points)
- Health-Care Facilities per Capita: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
- Share of Population Living in a Primary-Care HPSA: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
- Projected Share of Elderly Population in 2030: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
- Educational Opportunities Based on Quality of Nursing Schools: Half Weight (~3.33 Points)
- Share of Licensed Nursing Professionals Not Working in Nursing Field: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
- Nursing-Job Openings per Capita: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
- Nurses per 1,000 Residents: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
- Projected Competition in 2024: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
Work Environment – Total Points: 30
- Mandatory Overtime Restrictions: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
- Ratio of Nurses to Hospital Beds: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
- Presence of Nursing Licensure Compact Law: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
- Share of Best Nursing Homes: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
- Quality of Public Hospital System: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
- Friendliness Toward Working Moms: Full Weight (~4.29 Points)
- Average Number of Work Hours: Half Weight (~2.14 Points)
- Average Commute Time: Half Weight (~2.14 Points)
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