Report: Missouri’s hospital workforce vacancy and turnover rates remain high

A report says Missouri’s hospital workforce vacancy and turnover rates remain high. 

A new report says Missouri has a nearly one-quarter turnover rate among all surveyed hospital positions statewide, with more than 40-percent accounting for environmental services and dietary workers. 

The Missouri Hospital Association reports the turnover rate among staff nurses was nearly 20-percent in 2022 – one in five statewide. 

The nurse vacancy rate was more than 17-percent. 

The association says two regions – southeast and south central Missouri – have “particularly troubling” hospital turnover rates. 

It also says the pipeline for new hospital workers is insufficient to deliver the workforce of the future with an additional 64 full-time faculty positions necessary to accommodate all nursing school applicants.