Sun Sep 15 15:19:55 UTC 2024: ## Bryan Health Raises Nurse Pay to Combat Staffing Shortage

**Lincoln, NE** – Faced with a persistent shortage of nurses and an over-reliance on traveling staff, Bryan Health has taken significant steps to address the issue, raising base pay for its nursing staff by $3 to $10 per hour. This increase, which comes on top of the annual cost-of-living adjustment, reflects a market analysis showing that Bryan’s pay rates had fallen behind competitors.

The move is part of a broader trend in Nebraska, with hospitals across the state offering additional pay raises to nurses and other staff in an effort to remain competitive. Nebraska Medicine in Omaha also recently implemented unscheduled pay increases.

The decision comes at a time when the national nursing shortage is expected to worsen in the coming years, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasting 194,500 registered nurse job openings annually until 2029.

The pay increase has had a positive impact on Bryan Health, helping to reduce its reliance on traveling nurses. The number of itinerant nurses working at Bryan has decreased from a high of 250 to 178, resulting in significant cost savings. Additionally, the increased compensation has attracted more applicants, with Bryan receiving 245 applications for bedside nursing roles in August and hiring 79 nurses, triple the number hired in August 2023.

Despite the efforts to recruit and retain nurses, Bryan Health, like other hospitals in Nebraska, continues to face challenges in finding qualified staff. The state-wide nursing vacancy rate ranges from 11% to 17%, representing a shortfall of nearly 6,000 nurses.

While the nursing shortage presents a major challenge for hospitals, it also highlights the importance of the profession. Nurses are essential to providing quality healthcare, and their contributions often go unrecognized. As hospitals struggle to fill positions, it becomes even more critical to invest in nurses and ensure they are valued and compensated fairly for their vital role.

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