Connecticut is a small state with a big problem. Technology in healthcare has advanced and the population is aging. There is a great need for new nurses in the state. The demand is high and steadily increasing as more and more people, including healthcare workers, retire and require more health services.
Connecticut was one of the first states with a nursing shortage and though it has not yet become dire, there still exists a gap between supply and demand. The state has thrown a lot of money at the problem but the problem has not gone away.
Currently there is a great shortfall; however the state is managing to cope by hiring traveling nurses to cover the gaps. However, this is a temporary fix a more permanent fix is still in the works. Travel Nursing is a program of relocating nurses temporarily to different locations for a period of time. This program developed in response to the nursing shortage. Nurses enjoy traveling because they get to visit new locations, they get free benefits, and they get a higher salary. Though, with the baby boomers retiring, there is only so much the traveling nurses can do.
In Connecticut there is no separate Board of Nursing like most other states, instead the licensure is taken care of by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. You know that Connecticut takes its nurses seriously by doing all the work by the main department rather than creating another one to handle it.
Connecticut is a great place to practice nursing, with a large demand, aging population, and increasing salaries the future of nurses in Connecticut looks very bright.
