Study Ranks Tennessee As One of the Worst States for Nurses
In recognition of National Nurses Week (May 6-12), WalletHub.com has released a report of the best and worst states for Nurses. Each state was scored in the following categories and metrics and then ranked accordingly.
Opportunity & Competition
- Monthly Average Starting Salary for Nurses
- Average Annual Salary for Nurses
- Health-Care Facilities per Capita
- Share of Population Living in a Primary-Care HPSA
- Projected Share of Elderly Population in 2030
- Quality of Nursing Schools
- Tuition Cost per Credit for BSN Online Program
- Nursing-Job Openings per Capita
- Nurses per 1,000 Residents
- Projected Competition in 2030
READ MORE: TN Ranks Among the Most Sinful States – What Makes It So Naughty?
Work Environment
- Mandatory Overtime RestrictionsRatio of Nurses to Hospital Beds
- Nurses Job Growth (2022 vs 2018)
- Presence of Nursing Licensure Compact Law
- Regulatory Requirement for Nurse Practitioners
- Share of Best Nursing Homes
- Quality of Public Hospital System
- Friendliness Toward Working Moms
- Average Number of Work Hours
- Average Commute Time
Unfortunately, Tennessee is One of the Worst States for Nurses
The results of the 2024 report were not great (or even good) for the Volunteer state. Tennessee ranked 37th in Opportunity & Competition, and 39th in Work Environment. Overall, Tennessee is ranked as the 45th best state for nurses - or you could say it is the 5th worst state for nurses.
How Did the Rest of the Tri-State Do?
The report wasn't quite as bad for Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky, although there is plenty of room for improvement. Indiana landed at #31 on the list, followed closely by Kentucky at #32. Illinois scored just a little bit better coming in at #23.
If you want to know which state is first, last, or anywhere in between, you can scroll over the map below, or you can dive into the sea of data when you look at the full report here.