Many registered nursing jobs in Massachusetts have gone unfilled and that trend is on the rise, according to a recent poll cited by The Enterprise.
Administered by the Massachusetts Hospital Association late last year and released in August, the survey cited retirements, attrition and staffing cuts and noted they have grown since the year prior. Seventy-six hospitals in the Commonwealth saw the 2011 vacancy rate climb to 3.9 percent after checking in at 3 percent during the year prior.
One official with the Massachusetts Hospital Association cited there is a correlation between the vacancy rate and economic circumstances.
"The belief a lot of researchers have is economic conditions and nurse vacancy rates are closely related," health data analysis and policy senior director David Smith told the news source.
Post-partum nursery units and services for skilled nursing and rehabilitation have seen the lowest vacancy rates.
Registered nurses typically work in hospitals, the offices of physicians, services for home healthcare and facilities for nursing care, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. They help by providing and coordinating patient care and providing emotional support to patients and their loved ones.