QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES FROM 5,369 (77 PERCENT) OF THE 6,993 HOSPITALS CONTACTED PROVIDED INFORMATION NEEDED FOR PLANNING EDUCATIONAL AND RECRUITMENT PROGRAMS. PERSONNEL IN ALL CATEGORIES EMPLOYED BY THE RESPONDING HOSPITALS TOTALED 1,750,545. PROJECTED ESTIMATES FOR ALL HOSPITALS, SHOWED 1,332,052 PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL WORKERS EMPLOYED AND 257,217 ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL WORKERS NEEDED. THE MOST URGENTLY NEEDED CATEGORIES WERE--(1) REGISTERED NURSES, (2) AIDES, ORDERLIES, AND ATTENDANTS, (3) LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES, (4) MEDICAL TECHNOLOGISTS, AND (5) DIETICIANS. DETAILED DATA ON STAFFING AND CURRENT NEEDS AND ON MOST URGENT PERSONNEL NEEDS ARE PRESENTED IN FULL-PAGE TABLES FOR THE UNITED STATES, FOR EACH REGION, AND FOR STATES WITHIN EACH REGION. TABLES PRESENTING UTILIZATION CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDING HOSPITALS AND A SAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRE WITH INSTRUCTIONS ARE INCLUDED. (JK)