VIEWPOINT | The need for more nurses in South Dakota is critical
Guest column by Dawn R. Warren
As a registered nurse (RN) in South Dakota for the past 35 years, I can honestly say that it has been one of the greatest blessings in my life and yet is a profession in dire need of more, especially in our rural areas.
According to Klinski (2025), South Dakota is projected to have the third-worst nursing shortage in the United States by 2030, needing an additional 1,900 registered nurses (a 14 percent deficit). The state faces an estimated 1,000 nursing job openings annually as rural health care systems struggle with an aging workforce and geographic challenges.
