The Bureau for Labor Statistics anticipates that 1 million registered nurses will be needed by the end of the year, the report notes. Murthy also cites a Mercer Health Care Market Analysis that estimates a shortage of 3 million low-wage health workers, many of whom are women of color, in the next five years. The Association of American Medical Colleges projects a shortage of up to 139,000 physicians by 2033, according to the report.