By Haley Kosik/WJEZ News

Illinois could be on the verge of a nursing shortage in the coming years, according to a new survey.

Linda Roberts, manager of the Illinois Center for Nursing, said many retirements are coming.

“About 40 percent of the nurses who responded are ages of 55 to 65 years of age or older and about 1/3 of this group says they intend to retire in the next 5 years so that’s a significant number of nurses in Illinois,” said Roberts.

Roberts said a projected nursing shortage was delayed over the last decade as many nurses who planned to retire didn’t. Many stayed on the job because of the recession.

The study was done by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.