Almost 16 percent of nursing positions in Missouri Hospitals are vacant — the highest shortage the state has seen in 16 years, according to a 2017 survey by the Missouri Hospital Association.
The number of vacant positions climbed 6.7 percent this year due to an increase in retirement rates, pursuit of promotions and demand for healthcare services, according to the survey.
"It’s tough when you're short-staffed all the time, and it’s not administration's fault," Jill Kliethermes, CEO of the Missouri Nurses Association, told the Columbia Missourian. "Sometimes it's just the way it is. You can only get what you can get, even with agency nurses or trying to bring outside people to fill the void."