2025 Volume 29 Issue 1 Pages 19-27
Aim: This study aimed to identify the birth years of the largest cohort of practicing registered nurses using longitudinal data from the Report on Public Health Administration and Services (RPHAS) in Japan.
Methods: Data on the number of practicing registered nurses using five-year age groups spanning 1992–2022 were extracted from the RPHAS. The analysis encompassed eight categories, ranging from "under 25" to "55–59." The number of practicing registered nurses by age group and reporting year was displayed in a line graph to observe changes. The birth years and count of practicing registered nurses in the age group with the highest frequency in each reporting year were aggregated in a table to identify the most prevalent birth year.
Results: The distribution of practicing registered nurses of five-year age groups revealed that the group with the highest count moved to older age ranges over time: "30–34" in 2008, "35–39" in 2012, "40–44" in 2016, and "45–49" in 2022. Tracking the birth years within these age groups, the count of practicing registered nurses at the end of the decade increased for the following birth years: "1973–1977," "1974–1978," "1975–1979," and "1976–1980." The occurrences of birth years in the age groups with the highest counts indicated that practicing registered nurses born in 1976 and 1977 are likely to outnumber those from other years.
