Iowa has a dire shortage of nurses. Here’s why

(This story first appeared in the Iowa Worker’s Almanac, and is a subscriber exclusive.)

You probably already know Iowa has a problem getting qualified health care workers:

• We’re 44th in the nation for physicians to patients, or 30% worse than the national average;
• The problem is particularly bad in our nursing homes;
• Iowa Republicans passed a bill to fund more residency slots, though most med students leave Iowa because residency slots aren’t enough in some students’ minds to make up for an onerous abortion ban and vaccine skepticism.

One of the biggest problems is finding enough nurses, particularly in our rural hospitals. A big reason for that is low pay.

Fewer health care workers, particularly nurses, means delays in care. In the worst cases, such delays can be dangerous or deadly.

That’s something around 2,000 nurses at UnityPoint Health in Des Moines have been working to improve for the better part of a year, as they fight their company for the right to unionize for better staffing, safety, wages, and benefits to help keep nurses in the state.

Those nurses, along with their potential union, Teamsters Local 90, held a rally this week to keep the pressure on.

In attendance were several Democratic candidates for office. That included Stephanie Steiner, a retired nurse from Sutherland who is running for US House in western Iowa’s District 4.

“Iowa ranks 48th in the nation for nurse pay, and our rural hospitals are struggling to survive,” Steiner said. “Nurses are leaving the state for better opportunities elsewhere—and that means patients and families are left at risk. This is a crisis we cannot ignore.”

State Sen. Zach Wahls of Coralville, one of three Democrats running for US Senate, also attended. In a crowded primary, Wahls is looking to position himself as the candidate for labor and the working class, and recently got endorsements from Ironworkers Local 89 as well as Teamsters Local 90.

“UnityPoint has already spent more than $2 million on anti-union consultants to try to intimidate their staff—that money could have hired nearly 30 full-time nurses for an entire year,” Wahls said. “Instead of union-busting, UnityPoint should respect their workers and let nurses make their own decision about forming a union.”

Also in attendance were Nathan Sage, another candidate for US Senate, and former Iowa House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, running for US House District 3.

“The PRO Act obviously needs to be passed to give labor unions the strength they need to be able to work for the workers that they represent,” Sage said.