Should I Stay or Should I Go?: Nursing License Renewal Decisions in Iowa

As of 2005, the demand for nurses in Iowa exceeded supply by 8%. By 2020, the supply shortfall is projected to be 27%. Given the apparent inelastic decision to enter nursing, the authors focus on the incentives to remain in the profession. The majority of Iowa RNs who let their nursing licenses expire do so because of retirement. The decision to renew a license is positively influenced by local nursing wages, but the effect is extremely small. Nearly one-quarter of nurses with expired licenses say they may return to nursing or have not decided whether to return. These results suggest an opportunity to maintain an experienced nursing workforce through efforts to regain nurses who have either let their licenses expire or have left the nursing workforce.