Staff turnover has reached unsustainable levels in the skilled nursing sector, with some staff – particularly certified nursing assistants (CNAs) – leaving faster than they can be replaced.
And it goes beyond just raising wages.
Despite a 7.13% national hourly wage increase for CNAs in 2021, turnover still increased significantly at the position — jumping to 59.95% compared to 39.38% in 2020.
Finding ways to keep CNAs in place and fulfilled for the long-term will be key to building a better skilled nursing workforce for the future.
Promoting from within is one way some of the best skilled nursing operators have been able to separate themselves at a time when most of the industry is dealing with similar staffing challenges, according to Activated Insights CEO Dr. Jacquelyn Kung.
“We want to be hiring people and growing them,” Kung said during a panel discussion last week during the Skilled Nursing News Staffing Summit. “As an industry on average 15% of our roles are promoted from within. Now look at that compared to hospitals who promote almost half of their leaders from within. Same thing with hotels and retail.”