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Nursing shortage: With over 2,500 openings, local hospitals feel the strain

With more than 2,500 openings in local hospitals, the Triangle is facing a major shortage of nurses.

Posted Updated

By
Joe Fisher
, WRAL reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — With more than 2,500 openings in local hospitals, the Triangle is facing a major shortage of nurses.

UNC Health is offering a $20,000 signing bonus to help attract new registered nurses. In the meantime, hospitals are relying on travel nurses and temporary staff to fill gaps in staffing.

Duke and Wake Med are each offering $15,000 signing bonus for registered nurses.

Still, with nurses on the front line of healthcare, it's a struggle to find new nurses and keep the experienced ones from leaving.

Duke Health has 630 nurse vacancies. Wake Med has 620 openings. UNC Health is short 1,300 nurses across 16 hospitals.

"It's an uphill battle for everyone," said Cathy Madigan, chief nurse executive at UNC Health.

UNC Health is fighting hard: They’ve put nearly $60 million toward salary increases. They're also offering incentives like sign-on bonuses, tuition reimbursement and paid parental leave.

Still, they're short-staffed, even at the new UNC Rex Holly Springs.

“We are excited about all these new places, but it also means we have to staff them. That adds another layer of urgency to this, as well," said Madigan.

Where have all the nurses gone?

“Some of them have chosen to take jobs in the clinics. Some of them have chosen to take jobs with other departments," said Madigan.

Plus, many have retired or resigned. Madigan says pandemic burnout led to high turnover. The turnover has slowed slightly, but some units are still overwhelmed.

“Those units that are not back to normal, the nursing staff does talk about how busy it is and I think it is really overwhelming," she said.

This month, WakeMed welcomed its largest-ever class of 126 nurse residents. The goal is to train and retain, as they look to a younger workforce to fill the shortage.

UNC Health says to keep experienced nurses, they have developed a career advancement ladder. Right now, more than 80% of nurse managers at UNC Medical Center were promoted from within.

“I think it’s a great time to be a nurse looking for a job," said Madigan.

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