How do you calculate nurse turnover rate?

Divide the number of separations (employees who left, voluntarily or not) by the average number of employees in the period, and multiply by 100. For a period shorter than a year, scale it to 12 months to compare with annual benchmarks.

How do you calculate the RN vacancy rate?

NSI Nursing Solutions defines it as unfilled RN FTEs divided by budgeted RN FTEs, times 100. 4.2 vacant FTEs out of 46 budgeted is a 9.1% vacancy rate.

What is the national RN turnover rate?

NSI’s 2026 report, covering calendar year 2025, put hospital staff RN turnover at 17.6% and the average cost of turnover for a bedside RN at $60,090.

How is average headcount calculated?

A simple method is to average the headcount at the start and end of the period, or to average the monthly headcounts. Use the same method every time so the trend is comparable.

Free tool · CNML® exam topic

Turnover & vacancy rate calculator

Turnover = separations ÷ average headcount, annualized. Vacancy = unfilled FTEs ÷ budgeted FTEs. Compare your unit with the latest national figures.

Result

Annualized turnover rate: 14.6%
Turnover in the period: 14.6%

7 separations ÷ 48 average staff = 14.6% annual turnover.

RN vacancy rate

Result

Vacancy rate: 9.1%
Filled FTEs: 41.8

4.2 unfilled FTEs ÷ 46.0 budgeted FTEs.

Formulas

Turnover rate = separations ÷ average headcount × 100
Annualized turnover = turnover in the period × (12 ÷ months in the period)
RN vacancy rate = unfilled RN FTEs ÷ budgeted RN FTEs × 100 (NSI)

Separations include quits, retirements, terminations and other departures, the same categories the Bureau of Labor Statistics uses in its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. Transfers within the organization are usually reported separately.

Worked example

7 separations ÷ 48 average nurses = 14.6% annual turnover. With 4.2 of 46 budgeted FTEs unfilled, the vacancy rate is 9.1%.

How your unit compares

NSI Nursing Solutions’ 2026 report (calendar year 2025, 527 hospitals) put staff RN turnover at 17.6% and the RN vacancy rate at 8.6%, with an average cost of $60,090 for each bedside RN who leaves. Benchmarks vary by specialty, so compare like with like.

Retention on the CNML exam

Human resource management sits in the Business Skills and Principles domain of the CNML® outline: recruiting, onboarding, evaluating and recognizing staff, and keeping a healthy work environment. Turnover and vacancy feed straight into the budget, since every vacancy is usually covered with overtime or agency hours (try the budget variance calculator).

Test yourself: a CNML-style question

A unit with an average of 40 staff nurses had 6 nurses resign and 2 retire during the year. What was its annual turnover rate?

Show answer

C. 20%

Turnover counts every separation: 6 resignations + 2 retirements = 8. 8 ÷ 40 average staff × 100 = 20%.

Questions like this come up in the Business Skills and Principles domain of the CNML® exam. The 361 questions in the app each come with a written explanation.

FAQ

How do you calculate nurse turnover rate?: Divide the number of separations (employees who left, voluntarily or not) by the average number of employees in the period, and multiply by 100. For a period shorter than a year, scale it to 12 months to compare with annual benchmarks.
How do you calculate the RN vacancy rate?: NSI Nursing Solutions defines it as unfilled RN FTEs divided by budgeted RN FTEs, times 100. 4.2 vacant FTEs out of 46 budgeted is a 9.1% vacancy rate.
What is the national RN turnover rate?: NSI’s 2026 report, covering calendar year 2025, put hospital staff RN turnover at 17.6% and the average cost of turnover for a bedside RN at $60,090.
How is average headcount calculated?: A simple method is to average the headcount at the start and end of the period, or to average the monthly headcounts. Use the same method every time so the trend is comparable.

Sources

Checked against these sources on November 3, 2026. For education and CNML® exam preparation only — not a substitute for your organization’s finance, HR and staffing policies or its official reports. Calculations run in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere.