A report by the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) shows that nearly 10% of the state’s hospital jobs are vacant, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. That is almost double the rate from early in the COVID-19 pandemic and evidence of a critical worker shortage.
The highest vacancy rate is among licensed practical nurses at 18%, followed by certified registered nurse anesthetists at 14% and certified nursing assistants (CNA) at over 12%. The vacancy rate for Wisconsin’s registered nurses, who make up 50% of the hospital workforce, is 10%.
The report shows that CNAs have the lowest share of workers age 55 or older among the 18 tracked professions and also have the highest turnover rate at 35%. Other professions with high turnover rates include lab and pharmacy technicians.
Wisconsin’s number of licensed registered nurses grew 14% from 2020–22 to almost 119,000, likely due to expanded opportunities at nursing schools and employers. The number of advanced practice nurses rose by 41% to roughly 10,800. The uptick includes retired nurses, however.
Annual growth of 4,000 working nurses — far more than the state’s reported 2,666 — is needed to meet projected demand over the next decade. The WHA is recommending expanded training opportunities for nurses to help combat the issue.
