The Nevada Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile

State Health Workforce Profiles Highlights Nevada

Printer-friendly Nevada Highlights (Adobe/.pdf)

• There were more than 56,000 workers employed in the health services in Nevada in 2000, 5.5% of Nevada‘s total workforce. Nevada ranked the lowest among the states in per capita health services employment and percenthealth services employment.
• Health services employment in Nevada grew 138% between 1988 and 2000, while the state’s population grew by 88%, resulting in a net per capita growth of 27% in health services sector employment. This exceeded the national rate of net per capita growth in the health services sector of 21%.
• The total population of Nevada is projected to grow 11% between 2000 and 2020, while the population over 65 is projected to grow 88% during the same period.
• In 1999, Nevada was above the national rates of deaths due to cancer and heart disease. Nevada had the highest rate of deaths due to firearms in the country.
• In 2000, Nevada ranked 49th in the country in the number of hospital beds per 100,000 population and in 1999 ranked 48th in the country in the number of nursing home beds per 1,000 population 65 and over.

Highlights of the findings about the health workforce in Nevada are presented below. Medicine

• There were over 3,200 active patient care physicians in Nevada in 2000. With 159 physicians per 100,000 population, Nevada fell below the national ratio of 198 physicians per 100,000. Nevada ranked 43rd among states in physicians per capita.
• Nevada had 55 active primary care physicians per 100,000 population in 2000, much lower than the rate of 69 per 100,000 for the entire country.
• Medical schools in Nevada graduated 53 new physicians in 1999-00. Nevada ranked 43rd among the 46 states with medical schools in number of medical school graduates. On a per capita basis, Nevada graduated fewer new physicians per 100,000 population (2.8) than did the entire United States (6.4) and ranked 43rd among the 46 states with medical schools in medical school graduates per capita.
• There were 301 physician assistants practicing in Nevada in 2000. This is equal to 14.9 physician assistants per 100,000 population, slightly higher than the national rate of 14.4.

Nursing

• There were more than 12,900 licensed registered nurses (RNs) in Nevada in 2000; nearly 10,400 were employed in nursing. There were 514.4 RNs per 100,000 population in Nevada in 2000, significantly less than the national rate of 780.2. Nevada ranked last among states in RNs per capita.
• In 2000, Nevada ranked 48th among the states in the per capita employment of Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPNs), with 111.5 LPNs per 100,000 population as compared to the national rate of 240.8 per 100,000. Nevada ranked 42nd in the number of LPNs employed in 2000 with 2,250 workers.
• Nevada had more than 300 nurse practitioners in 2000. This was equal to 15.2 nurse practitioners per 100,000 population, well below the national rate of 33.7. Nevada had one of the lowest ratios of nurse practitioners per capita in the nation.
• With 15 certified nurse midwives in 2000, Nevada had 0.7 certified nurse midwife per 100,000 population, well below the national rate of 2.9. Nevada ranked 49th among states in certified nurse midwives per capita.
• With 64 certified registered nurse anesthetists in 2003, Nevada had 3.2 nurse anesthetists per 100,000 population, about a third of the national rate. Nevada had one of the lowest ratios of nurse anesthetists per capita in the nation.

Dentistry, Pharmacy and Mental Health

• There were 690 dentists, 830 dental hygienists, and 1,610 dental assistants practicing in Nevada in 2000. There were 34.2 dentists per 100,000 population in Nevada in 2000, well below the national rate of 63.2. Nevada ranked 48th in the nation in dentists per capita. The per capita ratio of dental hygienists was also lower than the national rate.
• The number of dentists in Nevada grew 32% between 1991 and 2000 while the state’s population grew 57%. The result was a 16% decline in dentists per capita compared to a 16% increase nationwide.
• There were 1,470 pharmacists and 1,420 pharmacy technicians and aides practicing in Nevada in 2000. Nevada had 72.8 pharmacists and 70.3 pharmacy technicians and aides per 100,000 population in 2000, which ranked them 31st and 42nd, respectively, among the 50 states.
• There were 117 psychiatrists, 390 psychologists, and 1,800 social workers in Nevada in 2000. This was equal to 6.7 psychiatrists, 19.3 psychologists, and 89.2 social workers per 100,000 population. Nevada ranked 44th among states in psychiatrists and psychologists per capita and 48th among states in social workers per capita.

Aides

• There were 1,540 home health aides and 4,680 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants working in Nevada in 2000. Nevada had 76.3 home health aides and 231.8 nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants per 100,000 population in 2000, which both ranked 49th among the 50 states.