Southeast nursing turnover rates among highest in the U.S.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - According to a recent report from Nursing Solutions, Inc., hospitals across the Southeast account for some of the highest nursing turnover rates in the United States.

Alabama State Nursing Association president Dr. Lindsey Harris says some of the biggest reasons for the departure are money and feeling overlooked for their sacrifices.

“Many nurses are taking the opportunity to go travel, sometimes out of state and sometimes locally, to make more money.”

Harris says some nurses can make two to three times more money by traveling to another hospital.

According to the Alabama State Nursing Association, nurse pay in Alabama is around 8% lower than in surrounding states.

Add that to all stress from working during the COVID pandemic, and you can see why some choose to leave.

However, according to Harris, there are still plenty of dedicated nurses who will continue to help patients because it’s something they love to do.

“They’ve stuck in it, and they will continue to do so because that is their passion and their love, but they want to feel valued from their places of employment.”

ASNA says more money from COVID Relief Funds for nurses is vital to making things better.

“Staffing can directly relate to the quality of care, and if we want to maintain that high quality of care for our patients in our state, we have to fix the foundation,” said Harris.

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