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Health Law Highlights

Texas Nursing Homes Face Continued Staffing Shortages, Low Ratings

Summary of article from Community Impact, by Sarah Hernandez:

In 2022, the median turnover rate for registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses in long-term care facilities exceeded 50%, according to the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies. This increase is attributed to exhaustion after the pandemic, with long-term care proving more demanding than acute hospital settings. Texas received the lowest ranking for nursing home conditions from advocacy group Families for Better Care. In response, new rules from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services aim to improve care quality by mandating minimum staffing requirements. However, the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies and industry professionals suggest this is unrealistic without strategies to improve staff retention and recruitment, such as pay increases and educational partnerships.