Lantern Valley Workforce Board · Nursing careers · 2026

Who can we grow into the nurses we need?

Many open nursing jobs could go to people already working in our hospitals. This report shows how many are ready to step up, and what it takes to get them there.

What we found
Open LPN and RN jobs
Could go to our own staff
New aides to hire and onboard

The nursing ladder

Each bar is the open jobs on that step. Green is the share our own staff could fill by stepping up.

Ready to step upStill openAide spots opened by step-ups
What "ready" means
✓ Works here 1+ year✓ In good standing ✓ Meets school entry rules✓ Said yes on our career survey
Ready means ready to start training, not licensed. They earn the license after training: LPNs pass the NCLEX-PN, RNs pass the NCLEX-RN.
What we found

Grow or hire?

How likely each path is to fill an open job, what it costs, how long it takes, and who is still here a year later.

Grow our ownHire from outside

From staff to ready

How many people pass each check. School entry rules: for LPN school, a diploma or GED and an entrance test. For RN school, an active LPN license plus prerequisite classes (like anatomy) and an entrance test.

County by county

People ready to step up now, what it costs to train them, and the aides we'd need to hire behind them.

What it takes to start

Don't skip onboarding
About 1 in 3 new aides leave within a year. Every aide we keep is one fewer to recruit, and one more who could step up later.