SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — An emergency rule put into place by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services will address labor shortages in a crucial field.

Unlicensed assistive personnel will now receive double the amount of training time from 90 days to 180 days in hopes of drawing more nursing aides to the field.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said this rule was necessary to address the ongoing issue of not having enough workers in the field.

Nursing aides can take your vitals, look after patients, and even perform first aid in some instances.

By extending the training, the rule change will allow nursing aides to do more for patients at hospitals.

According to a 2022 workforce report from the Missouri Hospital Association, there is a nearly 15% vacancy rate for registered nurses in southwest Missouri and a 26.6% turnover rate. 

The rule goes into effect on June 6 and will last until the end of the year.