The association surveyed 70 percent of the state’s hospitals in early February to examine their workforce challenges, among them rising staff vacancies and employment costs amid a tight labor market.
Five more survey findings:
1. The vacancy rate for registered nurses — the number of vacant positions relative to the total number of employees — climbed from 8.2 percent in 2020 to 13.4 percent last year, a 64 percent increase.
2. For nurse extenders such as certified nurse aides, the vacancy rate increased from 12.4 percent in 2020 to 16.9 percent last year, a 37 percent increase.
3. Hospitals increased their reliance on agency RNs by 66 percent, from 3.6 percent in 2020 to 6 percent last year.
4. Hospitals increased their reliance on agency nurse extenders by 68 percent, from 2.9 percent in 2020 to 4.9 percent last year.
5. Hospitals spent about $499 million for overtime in 2020 and are projected to have spent about $592 million in 2021.
The survey results are indicative of the national trend of hospitals facing staffing shortages and rising labor costs as they vie for talent. It’s a concern the American Hospital Association has urged Congress to address, calling workforce challenges facing hospitals a national emergency.
The New Jersey Hospital Association suggested such long-term strategies as opening more educational opportunities for students interested in healthcare and boosting healthcare faculty to address the workforce challenges.