“Troubling rates of vacancy and turnover persist in a variety of roles essential to care delivery — including the R.N.s and the staff that support bedside care,” Doolittle said. “At the same time, positions that are essential to hospital operations, including food service workers and environmental services, have turnover rates that exceed 50% statewide. To compete in the job market, hospitals continue to innovate and evolve to be employers of choice.” Several other surveyed worker categories support R.N.s in providing care. MHA surveys hospitals for vacancy and turnover of Licensed Practical Nurses and Nurse Assistants — the latter of which includes Patient Care Technicians, Certified Nurse Assistants and unlicensed assistive personnel. The vacancy rates on these workers are similar or higher than R.N.s, but the turnover rate is significantly higher —nearly 37% for Nurse Assistants. Vacancy and turnover rates in these positions increase the pressure on the R.N. Workforce. “To serve patients and provide high-quality care, hospitals require a team of workers acting in concert,” Doolittle said. “Turnover and vacancies in imaging, lab services, therapy or pharmacy, for example, influence a hospital’s ability to provide the care Missourians need and deserve.” Geography can influence the pool of available workers of all kinds. In 2023, regional variation was evident in Staff R.N. data, with turnover especially pronounced in rural parts of the state. For example, in Missouri’s South-Central region, the turnover rate of R.N.s was twice the state average at 35.2%.
Southeast region data is available here.
SOUTHEAST REGION In the St. Louis region, hospitals experienced a turnover rate of approximately 75% in environmental services and food service workers/dietary aids. Vacancy rates in both categories are low, which implies success filling these positions after separations. However, efforts to train and onboard these workers are time-consuming and costly. | 