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MHA 2023 Workforce Report: Data Shows Need For Nurses

A new annual report from the Missouri Hospital Association says data collected statewide remains significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels in addition to thousands of vacant nursing positions.

The MHS 2023 Workforce Report found staff nurse vacancies statewide reached 17.4 percent in 2022, a decrease compared to 19.8 percent in 2021. However, this still leaves Missouri with 33,178 nurses working in hospitals and 6,982 vacant staff nurse positions, according to the survey.

In addition, an estimated 97,000 registered nurses left the workforce in the past two years due to stress, burnout and retirement.

The report also provides data specific to the Kansas City region, accounting for 21
Missouri hospitals in five counties and 14 Kansas hospitals in seven counties.

Listed below is a breakdown of the top ten professions accompanied by their respective vacancy rates as well as the total number of working employees:

(Hospital Professions,  Employee Vacancy Rate,  Total Number of Workers)

Licensed Practical Nurse,  27.7 percent,  366
Sterile Processing Technician,  22.6 percent,  318
Nurse Assistants,  21.1 percent,  4,077
Staff Registered Nurse,  20.9 percent,  12,531
Surgical Technician,  20.4 percent,  555
Environmental Services,  20.1 percent,  1,349
Respiratory Therapist – Registered,  20.0 percent,  774
CT Technologist,  19.2 percent,  404
Respiratory Therapist – Certified,  18.9 percent,  120
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologist,  18.6 percent,  206

 

Since 2020, 47 percent of healthcare workers plan to leave their positions by 2025, according to a 2022 report by Definitive Healthcare.

While many state hospitals continue to press on through the demanding challenge of the workforce shortage, healthcare systems are still trying methods to retain the majority of their staff. Hospitals have increased starting wages, are offering sign-on and retention bonuses and are paying for more overtime hours to combat shortages and retain staff, according to the report.

Read the full MHA 2023 Workforce Report, here.

Posted June 7, 2023