Health Care Workforce

The health care workforce situation in Minnesota and across the nation is dire. Minnesota’s hospitals and health systems are facing a serious staffing shortage, with almost 10,000 open positions, and the future could be even more challenging. Rising labor and supply costs, combined with the need to rely on expensive temporary staffing, are putting intense strain on hospitals and health systems statewide. 

This shortage affects patient care. While hospitals and health systems will continue doing what they can, this problem cannot be solved by providers alone. 

Hospitals and Nurses: A Shared Goal 

Hospitals and nurses share the same goal, delivering safe patient care. Nurses, physicians, pharmacists, therapists, and staff from all disciplines work together as a team to support a culture of safety. Minnesota’s hospitals value the important and trusted role nurses play in providing high-quality care. 

Every day, nurse leaders work with bedside and charge nurses to appropriately staff units based on individual patient needs and, on the training, experience, and capabilities of the care team. 

Nurse Staffing Transparency 

In 2013, legislators, hospitals, and the nurses’ union developed a lasting compromise to provide greater transparency and reporting of nurse staffing levels. Under the Nurse Staffing Plan Disclosure Act, staffing plans are shared with key hospital employees and annual nurse staffing plans are publicly posted. Hospitals report quarterly on how their actual nurse staffing levels and patient census compare to their staffing plans. This information has been posted online since July 2014 and includes data on average number of patients per 24-hour period and worked hours per patient day.