Rising Nurse Turnover Raises Costs for Hospital Operators
With bedside turnover at 18%, healthcare operators must address safety and retention to avoid high replacement costs.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Nursing Jobs
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Bedside registered nurse turnover reached 18% in 2025, a significant increase from the 11% recorded 15 years prior. As turnover rises, healthcare operators face substantial replacement costs alongside growing challenges related to staff safety and burnout.
Why it matters
High attrition rates create deep financial and operational strain, as hospitals face $78,000 in costs for every departure. The rise in turnover is driven by persistent workplace violence and staffing pressure, forcing managers to rethink retention strategies to maintain bedside coverage.
Bedside registered nurse turnover reached 18% in 2025, up from 11% fifteen years ago. With 43% of nurses now signaling an intent to leave bedside roles within a year, hospitals face significant replacement expenses, such as the $78,000 cost reported by Emory Healthcare for a single departure.
The players
Emory Healthcare
An integrated academic health system that serves as a benchmark for nurse departure costs.
The details
Nurses are increasingly migrating to advanced practice, virtual nursing, and urgent care environments to escape burnout and safety risks. This shift is compounded by a 26% rise in workplace violence since 2017, with 2.4% of nursing staff experiencing an attack in 2025. These conditions force operators to manage not only the direct costs of turnover but also the downstream impact on care capacity and staff morale.
Timeline
2017: Workplace violence increased by 26% compared to 2025 levels.
2024: A survey of 800,000 nurses indicated 40% planned to leave or retire within five years.
2025: Bedside registered nurse turnover reached 18%.
2026: A survey found 43% of nurses were likely to leave bedside roles within one year.
Market Landscape
The 43% turnover intention rate reported in the 2026 nursing survey highlights a worsening trend in clinical staffing stability. This data suggests that the sector is moving away from traditional bedside models toward more flexible, virtual, or lower-acuity care pathways.
Operators must account for the $78,000 per-departure replacement cost when budgeting for human resources and retention programs. Prioritizing safety measures to mitigate the 26% increase in workplace violence is critical to curbing turnover and stabilizing the bedside workforce.
The takeaway
The sustained increase in bedside turnover signals a structural shift in where nurses choose to work. Managers should track the percentage of staff intending to leave within 12 months as a key metric to identify when retention initiatives need immediate adjustment.
Further reading
For additional context on workforce shifts, see the Nursing Jobs section.
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