Impact

The next giant leap in healthcare

Purdue University is improving the health and wellness of people in Indiana, the nation and the world through the efforts and innovations of the School of Nursing in the College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) and of the College of Pharmacy. The influence of Purdue on the health of Indiana residents is especially great because nearly two-thirds of School of Nursing graduates work in Indiana clinics, hospitals and communities, and approximately two-thirds of all pharmacists in Indiana are Purdue graduates.

Both in Indiana and the United States, there is a tremendous need for highly skilled nurses and pharmacists. With nearly 4,300 current job openings on average, Indiana is projected to need an additional 5,000 nurses by 2031 to meet the growing demands of an aging population. To address this shortage of nurses, Indiana would have to graduate 1,300 additional nurses per year through 2030.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in healthcare providers exiting the profession and the accelerated the retirement of nurses and pharmacists. This exacerbates the current and projected shortage of BSN professional nurses, advanced practice nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and nursing and pharmacy researchers and scientists over the next decade. Healthcare delivery to Indiana patients will be significantly impacted, with underserved and urban populations being hit hardest, creating barriers to a sustainable recovery of the healthcare system. Purdue’s investments in our nursing and pharmacy programs will be critical to address the healthcare needs within Indiana.

Read more about how the School of Nursing is advancing healthcare, healthcare education and the nursing profession.