Florida faces critical shortage of doctors and nurses, lawmakers looking for solutions

TAMPA, Fla. - Florida is on the front line of a healthcare crisis. As more people relocate to Florida, a shortage of doctors and nurses is becoming more pronounced – and state lawmakers are looking for solutions.

Florida’s population is projected to grow by nearly 300,000 residents for each of the next five years. A third of our full-time doctors are over the age of 60, and as they retire, the research warns we’ll have a shortfall of 18,000 doctors, and more than 37,000 nurses by 2035.

"We are at a crisis proportion of a shortage and the intensity of that is the nurses we lost due to COVID, due to being burned out, and not enough nurses to care for and the large volume of patients," said Dr. Beverly Malone, the president and CEO of National League for Nursing. 

RELATED: Florida lawmakers propose 'Live Healthy' package to revive healthcare industry

Reloading with a new generation of doctors and nurses won’t be easy. 

We’re still feeling the effects of educational disruptions from the pandemic as fewer nurses are passing the licensing exam. And, it’s harder to train medical staff across the board when you have a growing shortage of trainers. 

"If you're already short-staffed, having a new trainee or apprentice, or interns, is not easy," said Arthur Wheaton, the director of labor studies at Cornell University. "It takes a lot more effort and work and finding enough instructors to increase your availability for nursing is also tough."

In the coming legislative session, lawmakers said increasing access to doctors and nurses would be their top priority. 

READ: USF programs prepares students, keeps nurses in Florida

Senate President Kathleen Passidomo wrote a memo, calling on her fellow lawmakers to chime in with ideas. She said Florida should focus on offering more access to telemedicine, more maternity wards and more doctors to care for senior citizens, which won’t be easy.

Hospital managers have shared their concerns with Florida lawmakers for years, and it has driven calls to relax regulations and reduce the amount of time nurses spend on paperwork, so they could have more time caring for patients. 

Hospital administrators also want more state support for training nurses in state schools.

Lawmakers will consider these solutions, and others, when the regular session begins January 9.