Arizona hospitals are facing mounting pressure as the state’s nurse shortage ranks among the worst in the country, according to new national data.

A new study of data from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing found Arizona has just 1,686 nurses per 100,000 residents, putting the nursing shortage as the 10 th worst in the nation. The U.S. average is 2,057 per 100,000.

The numbers include 116,708 registered nurses and 11,126 nurse practitioners serving Arizona’s population. By comparison, Hawaii, who has the most nurses per capitia, has 2,967 nurses per 100,000 people. Utah has the worst, with just 1,340 per 100,000 patients.

Healthcare leaders say the shortage translates into longer wait times, higher patient-to-nurse ratios, and greater burnout risk for those on the front

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