A good hospital turnover rate is one that you assess in context, since no single figure suits every hospital. Compare the rate with the hospital’s own history and relevant healthcare benchmarks, then consider what else is happening. Vacancies, overtime, patient feedback, and employee concerns can help explain what a change may mean.
How should a hospital judge its own rate?
Start by defining exactly what you are counting and the period you are reviewing, then use the same method to compare recent results with the hospital’s earlier ones. Where available, compare like with like by considering relevant healthcare benchmarks and differences in roles, units, and labor markets.
Next, look for patterns by unit, role, and time period. Ask when the rate shifted and whether the change appears across the hospital or is concentrated in a particular area. When your team is facing difficult turnover questions, Choose Your Attitude can mean meeting the figures with curiosity and a willingness to learn, while treating staff fairly throughout the review.
What else should leaders look at?
Turnover is one signal, so review it alongside vacancies, overtime, employee feedback and concerns, and patient feedback. Listen to staff about workload, scheduling, support, and what might make them stay or leave. These conversations help leaders explore possible causes and understand what employees are experiencing.
A practical review can follow this sequence:
- Confirm the definition, time period, and data quality.
- Compare the rate with the hospital’s own past results and appropriate healthcare benchmarks.
- Identify the roles, units, and periods that may be driving a change.
- Review related staffing and feedback signals.
- Ask affected employees what they are experiencing, then agree on what to explore or adjust.
- Recheck the same measures after the team has had time to respond. Keep the conversation open: leaders can state what they see, ask what they may be missing, and invite staff to help interpret the pattern. That makes the review a way to understand working conditions and identify next steps, not a verdict on a team.
Questions like this one, and many more about hiring and retention, are explored in the FISH! Philosophy upgraded trial, which gives your team 30 days of access to the FISH! film and its digital guides.
