A survey conducted by the Dallas-Fort Hospital Council reported that the vacancy rate for RNs local to the state of Texas is now 8.8 percent, which is down from 10 percent in 2005 and from 9 percent two years before that.  The survey gives credit to flexible training programs and international recruiting for helping with the nurse staffing crunch in Texas. 

Although this is good news for Metroplex hospitals, healthcare providers are still facing nurse shortages across the nation.  In fact, the American Hospital Association estimates 116,000 registered-nurse jobs are unfilled nationwide.  Another tactic not mentioned, which has worked well in other medical facilities with nurse shortages is to utilize temporary nurse staffing agencies to help fill vacancies. 

Click here to read the entire article: Area hospitals filling vacant nursing jobs.