Good-ish news: CT is 13th best state for nurses to work in
Wallet Hub finds that Connecticut is a pretty good state for nurses to work. But the researchers found a big difference between Opportunity and Competition for nurses – Connecticut was 34th – and Work Environment – Connecticut was 4th among states. Opportunity and Competition includes ten measures such as salary, demand for nurses, quality of nursing schools, and job openings. Work Environment also includes ten measures such as ratio of nurses to hospital beds, best nursing homes, average work hours, and commute time. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses in Connecticut averaged $94,260 in annual wages last year; nurse practitioners made more. According to the state Department of Labor, there were 35,828 registered nurses working in Connecticut in 2020, more than any other healthcare provider group. In 2020, the Governor’s Workforce Council estimated a shortage of 3,000 new nurses annually in our state.