Florida hospitals have sharply reduced nurse vacancies and turnover since 2022, but persistent staffing gaps in high-demand roles and steep early-career departures continue to challenge the health care system as the state’s population grows older, according to a new Florida Hospital Association (FHA) workforce report.
The FHA report is based on a vacancy and turnover survey of 132 member hospitals representing about 48% of Florida hospital beds. It captures 12 months of staffing data from May 1, 2024, through April 30, 2025, including open positions reported during the week of April 19–25, 2025, and separations over the prior year, excluding contract labor.
“Florida’s hospitals have made remarkable progress in strengthening our workforce, but more work lies ahead as the demand for health care grows and evolves,” said Mary C. Mayhew, President and CEO of FHA. “Sustaining this momentum through expanding training pathways, strengthening hiring efforts and retaining the existing workforce is critical to caring for Florida’s rapidly growing population.”
FHA said Florida’s aging demographics are likely to intensify workforce demand. The state currently has more than 4.5 million residents over age 65, and that number is projected to reach 6.7 million by 2036, representing about 26% of Florida’s population. The report also cites projections that, by 2036, diagnosed diabetes prevalence will rise 22%, heart disease 23% and cancer rates 20%.
Despite those pressures, the report shows that hospitals have expanded employment and made progress stabilizing the nursing workforce. Florida hospital jobs increased from about 305,400 in 2020 to roughly 370,300 in 2025, a gain of about 64,900 jobs, according to federal labor data cited in the report.
Registered nurse vacancy rates in Florida declined from 21% in 2022 to 10% in 2025, matching the national average. RN turnover also fell, dropping from 32% in 2022 to 17% in 2025, near the national rate of 16%. FHA credited targeted recruitment and retention strategies, including tuition assistance, residency programs and “Earn While You Learn” initiatives.
The report also found improvement across nursing support roles such as certified nursing assistants, patient care technicians and licensed practical nurses, although turnover remains elevated. Vacancy rates among CNAs and related support positions declined 32% since 2022, while LPN vacancy rates declined 57% over the same period. Turnover rates also fell, with CNA turnover down 32% and LPN turnover down 42% compared with 2022.
A major challenge highlighted in the report is early-tenure workforce churn. Of 13,657 reported RN turnovers, 9,175 nurses — about 67% — left within 24 months. Among nursing support staff, 4,602 of 5,855 separations, or 79%, occurred within two years.
Allied health professions showed similar trends. Allied health vacancy rates declined from 14% in 2022 to 11% in 2025, while turnover fell from 24% to 13%. However, FHA said surveyed hospitals still face nearly 5,000 vacancies across allied roles, which make up nearly 60% of the workforce. Medical technologists and procedural technicians posted the highest vacancy rates at 16% and 15%, and the report said those positions typically take more than 60 days to fill.
FHA said recent progress reflects investments by hospitals and state policymakers, including the 2024 “Live Healthy” package. Hospitals contributed $138 million to recruitment and retention in 2024, the report said, and statewide efforts since 2022 have included more than $500 million in nursing education and workforce development funding through the LINE and PIPELINE programs. FHA also cited projections that Florida could face a shortage of 59,100 nurses and 18,000 physicians by 2035.
