On August 28, Vivian, a healthcare hiring platform, released an analysis of the average shift duration across states for Registered Nurses (RN) working in long-term care. The report analyzed Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) data compiled by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reviewing average daily hours worked during the first three months of 2024, the most recent data available. The analysis found that RN full shifts averaged 10.5 hours, an increase of .5 hours from 2021. RNs working in Alaska, Utah, Nevada, Montana, and Kentucky averaged the longest shifts among nurses in the United States, with nurses in Alaska averaging 11.9 hours per shift, likely due to severe nursing shortages particularly in rural areas. Long shifts, reduced staffing levels, and increasing demands for care and services continue to stretch the limited nursing workforce.
