The 12-month rate of nursing staff turnover as of 2024 was 46% for the median skilled nursing facility, MedPAC reported in March 2026.
46%
of nursing staff turned over in 12 months at the median skilled nursing facility
The 12-month rate of nursing staff turnover as of 2024 was 46% for the median skilled nursing facility, MedPAC reported in March 2026.
One quarter of facilities had turnover above 56%. MedPAC notes that a change in how CMS calculates turnover makes 2024 not directly comparable with earlier years.
Source: March 2026 Report to the Congress, Chapter 7: Skilled nursing facility services (opens in a new tab), Chapter 7, quality of care section, Figure 7-4. Verified October 2026.
Related charts
- From research
Hospital drug expenses grew 13.6% in 2025, nearly twice as fast as total expenses
American Hospital Association, Costs of Caring 2026 (March 2026) - From the blog
A boarded med-surg stroke patient cost nearly twice as much a day as one on a ward
Canellas et al., Annals of Emergency Medicine, vol. 84 (2024) - From the blog
Hopkins assigned ED patients a bed 30% faster after opening a command center
Johns Hopkins Medicine, Capacity Command Center news release (October 2016) - From the blog
Length of stay rose most for patients going to psychiatric hospitals or skilled nursing
American Hospital Association, Increasing Delays in Timely Discharges issue brief (December 2022)
Sources for the figures above: American Hospital Association, Costs of Caring 2026 (March 2026) (opens in a new tab); Canellas MM et al., Measurement of Cost of Boarding in the Emergency Department Using Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing, Annals of Emergency Medicine 84(4) (opens in a new tab); The Johns Hopkins Hospital Launches Capacity Command Center to Enhance Hospital Operations (news release) (opens in a new tab); American Hospital Association, Increasing Delays in Timely Discharges issue brief (December 2022) (opens in a new tab).
Related facts
3,567
of 5,121 US community hospitals belong to a health system of any size
3,567 of the 5,121 US community hospitals belonged to a health system of any size in the 2024 AHA Annual Survey, and 1,797 were rural, AHA's 2026 Fast Facts reports. The two counts overlap, because some rural hospitals also belong to a system.
Source: Fast Facts on U.S. Hospitals, 2026.
KentApplied13.6%
growth in US hospital drug expenses in 2025
Hospital drug expenses grew 13.6% in 2025, against 7.5% for total hospital expenses, AHA reports from Strata Decision Technology benchmark data.
Source: Costs of Caring 2026.
KentApplied20.2%
rise in average length of stay for patients going to skilled nursing, 2019 to 2022, case-mix adjusted
Adjusted for case mix, the average hospital stay for patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities got 20.2% longer from 2019 to 2022, the American Hospital Association reported.
Source: Patients and Providers Faced with Increasing Delays in Timely Discharges (issue brief).
KentApplied
Sources for the figures above: Fast Facts on U.S. Hospitals, 2026 (opens in a new tab); American Hospital Association, Costs of Caring 2026 (March 2026) (opens in a new tab); American Hospital Association, Increasing Delays in Timely Discharges issue brief (December 2022) (opens in a new tab).
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