Missouri hospitals report record employee turnover

Missouri hospitals reported a record 19.5% employee turnover rate this year, according to a report released last week by the Missouri Hospital Association. Positions with the highest turnover include nurse assistants, food service worker/dietary aide, housekeeper, licensed practical nurse and sterile processing technician. The report projects that employment in the state’s health care sector will grow 10.3 percent between 2016 and 2030. Hospital positions with the highest vacancies currently are licensed practical nurse, housekeeper, staff nurse, surgical technician and sterile processing technician. “Hospitals and other stakeholders are working to ensure that the educational pipeline provides the right workers with the appropriate skills to meet the health care needs of Missourians,” said Jill Williams, MHA’s vice president of workforce initiatives. “This includes working with individuals and educators to build awareness of the opportunities in health professions, ensuring the educational system has the tools and capacity to train future health workers, and retaining skilled workers in clinical professions.”