An analysis of Missouri's hospital workforce found that employee turnover among 135 hospitals in the state is at an all-time high of 19.5 percent.
The analysis was part of the Missouri Hospital Association's 2019 annual workforce report.
It found that the turnover rate in 2019 is 19.5 percent, compared to 17.7 percent in 2018 and 16 percent in 2017.
All 28 hospital occupations surveyed showed an employee turnover rate above 7 percent, according to the hospital association. Nurse assistants, food service worker/dietary aide, housekeeper, licensed practical nurse and sterile processing technician were among the positions with the highest turnover rates.
"Many hospitals indicate finding qualified entry-level staff is difficult due to competitive pay from different industries or larger companies, low unemployment, shallower job pools in rural areas and lack of training programs," the association wrote. "These careers are critical to patient care and require minimal formal education. There is tremendous potential for healthcare employers to work in partnership with educators to train and recruit the entry-level staff needed to serve patients in their communities."
The analysis also found that 23 of the 28 hospital occupations surveyed had a vacancy rate above 5 percent. Surveyed occupations with the highest vacancies were licensed practical nurse, housekeeper, staff nurse, surgical technician and sterile processing technician, according to the association.
Read more about the analysis and workforce report here.
More articles on workforce:
Hospital job growth by the numbers
Hospitals add 3,000 jobs in May
Shortage of home healthcare for youth is draining families emotionally, financially