National Nurses Week kicked off on Thursday, and with it comes a study that suggests of all 50 states, Maryland is the worst for nurses.
The study, from the financial news website WalletHub, looked at 22 metrics to determine the best states for a nursing career — particularly for young people just getting in to the profession. Maryland finished dead last; neighboring Delaware was next to last.
The study found that Maryland was:
- 39th among the 50 states in monthly average starting salary for nurses (adjusted for cost of living)
- 23rd in health care facilities per capita
- 45th in the projected share of elderly population by 2030
- 37th in nursing job openings per capita
- 49th in average annual salary for nurses (adjusted for cost of living)
- 29th in share of best nursing homes
- 25th in projected competition in the field by 2028
- 38th in average number of work hours for nurses
Arizona was rated the best state in the U.S. for a nursing career, followed by Washington, Nevada, Wyoming and New Mexico. Rounding out the bottom five after Maryland and Delaware: Vermont, New Jersey and Alabama.
In the broad category of “opportunity and competition,” Maryland was ranked dead last. It was 24th in the broad category of “work environment.”
“It’s more important now than ever for states to step up and make sure that nurses are properly equipped to do their jobs and have the best work environment possible,” WalletHub said in the study.