RN Numbers and Demographics
Registered nurses (RNs) are the largest segment of the health care work force. Approximately 2,909,467 people living in the United States are educated and licensed to practice as RNs, and 2,421,461 are employed as RNs. RNs come from every socio-economic class, every state, and every neighborhood in America. This diversity grants them a special understanding of the people for whom they care. What follows is a statistical portrait of today's RN population, compiled from the 2004 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Bureau of Health Professions, Health Resources and Services Administration.