JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The North Dakota State Hospital continues to address their recruitment and retention as they move past the COVID-19 pandemic.

In her latest report, Human Resources Officer Bobbie Miller informed the governing body that they had been dealing with an upward trend of cases among staff in recent months.

Miller added that as the downward trend in cases continued, she commended staff for stepping up and helping where needed.

Miller added that recruitment continues to be a challenge as the state unemployment rate sits at 2.8%

The annual turnover rate at the North Dakota State Hospital is 21.19%, higher than the national turnover rate of 19.1%. There are currently 91 vacant positions at the hospital.

The hospital is also preparing to bring in students for spring and summer semesters. 224 nursing students will rotate through to have a clinical experience working a total of 16 hours with an assigned nursing staff.