Hospitals in Montana and South Dakota have the highest nurse communication scores, while hospitals in the District of Columbia have the lowest, CMS data shows.
CMS collects and publicly reports data on nurse communication as part of its HCAHPS survey data. The nurse communication measure assesses the percentage of patients who reported that their nurses "always" communicated well. The data was collected in 2022 and published in CMS' Provider Data Catalog Nov. 8.
Nationwide, 79% of patients reported nurses always communicated well, according to CMS data.
See how each state and Washington, D.C., stack up below. Note: The list includes ties.
1. Montana — 84% of patients reported nurses always communicated well
South Dakota — 84%
2. Louisiana — 83%
Minnesota — 83%
Nebraska — 83%
3. Iowa — 82%
Kansas — 82%
North Dakota — 82%
Wisconsin — 82%
4. Arkansas — 81%
Idaho — 81%
Maine — 81%
Mississippi — 81%
Utah — 81%
Vermont — 81%
Wyoming — 81%
5. Colorado — 80%
Indiana — 80%
Kentucky — 80%
Michigan — 80%
New Hampshire — 80%
Ohio — 80%
Oklahoma — 80%
Pennsylvania — 80%
Texas — 80%
West Virginia — 80%
6. Alaska — 79%
Alabama — 79%
Missouri — 79%
Oregon — 79%
Rhode Island — 79%
Tennessee — 79%
7. Georgia — 78%
Hawaii — 78%
Illinois — 78%
Massachusetts — 78%
North Carolina — 78%
South Carolina — 78%
Virginia — 78%
Washington — 78%
8. Connecticut — 76%
Delaware — 76%
New Mexico — 76%
9. Arizona — 75%
10. California — 74%
Florida — 74%
Maryland — 74%
New Jersey — 74%
Nevada — 74%
New York — 74%
11. District of Columbia — 70%