"Editor's note: This story is part two of a MinnPost series by Matthew Blake on Minnesota's efforts to stabilize its nursing home workforce - a sector long challenged by high turnover. Part one looks at the state's plan and the pushback to it from nursing home operators. Next March, Mary Voerding is due to celebrate her 30th year at Maplewood Rehabilitation Center, a suburban Twin Cities nursing home where she has worked as a nurse, care coordinator and now front desk receptionist."
"Cracking jokes last month about how she could not wait to get photographed, Voerding put visitors, patients and management at ease. Like many nursing home workers, Voerding said that she sees her job as a calling to help those in need. Unlike many nursing facility employees, Voerding has stuck around. Thirty-six percent of all Minnesota nursing home workers quit or are fired within one year of starting, according to data the nursing homes' themselves report to the Minnesota Department of Human Services."
Thirty-six percent of Minnesota nursing home workers quit or are fired within one year, according to facility reports to the Department of Human Services. Turnover rates vary widely, from roughly 100 percent at some homes to 25 percent at others, while workers report similar stress, fatigue and shortages. Mary Voerding has worked 30 years at Maplewood Rehabilitation Center in multiple roles and remains committed to resident care. Vikki Knigge, an LPN working 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. to enable daytime caregiving for her granddaughter, sleeps about four hours and faces unpredictable, emotionally charged shifts.
Read at Eden Prairie Local News
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