Since 2019, registered nurses in Massachusetts have left their jobs in droves — leaving position vacancies to double in that time frame, according to NBC affiliate WWLP.
A recent report also found that 1 in 5 nurses in Massachusetts plan to exit their roles within two years.
Increasing reliance on travel nurses is also to blame, officials told the news outlet. A rise in travel nursing is something that has occurred nationwide, as the positions often offer more flexibility and higher pay than traditional nursing roles.
"As of 2022, average wages for contracted nurses in Massachusetts were 189 percent higher than the average wage of employed nurses," WWLP reported.
Kate Walsh, secretary for the state's HHS, told WWLP that to curb the issue, hospitals must work to "get rid of these usurious travel agency contracts that hurt everybody."
Additional scrutiny of travel nursing contracts is something the American Hospital Association has also recently called for Congress to investigate, citing "anticompetitive" practices as a key reason.