Nursing Home Staffing in Washington
Washington's nursing homes average 0.941 registered-nurse hours per resident per day, above the national 0.685, across the 189 of 193 homes that report them. The 100 with the most RN hours are listed below.
Washington against the nation
- Nursing homes193
- Reporting RN hours189
- Average RN hours, Washington0.941 per resident per day
- Average RN hours, U.S.0.685 per resident per day
Source: CMS nursing home file processed Jul 1, 2026; RN hours per resident per day from Payroll-Based Journal submissions.
Most RN hours per resident per day in Washington
Source: CMS nursing home file processed Jul 1, 2026. Homes with no RN hours reported are left out.
How to read staffing
Registered-nurse staffing is one of the three primary components CMS uses to calculate a nursing home's Five-Star Overall Rating, and across 193 Medicare-certified facilities in Washington the 189 that report RN hours average 0.941 RN hours per resident per day, compared with a national average of 0.685. That metric - "RN hours per resident day" - is derived from Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) submissions, a quarterly data feed that facilities are required to file and CMS audits against payroll records, so it is harder to game than the older self-reported staffing forms that the PBJ system replaced in 2016. This page uses 14,693 Medicare-certified nursing-home records from CMS Care Compare, with NPPES context where available. Every figure is traceable in the methodology.
Higher RN hours per resident per day generally correlate with better clinical outcomes, fewer pressure ulcers, lower rehospitalization rates, fewer falls, because registered nurses handle medication administration, wound care, and clinical assessments that licensed practical nurses and certified nursing aides cannot legally perform. But the ranking below should be read with context: facility acuity matters (a post-acute SNF taking hospital discharges needs more RN hours than a long-stay facility with stable residents), bed size creates measurement noise (small facilities can swing dramatically quarter-to-quarter), and weekend/holiday coverage patterns can lower the average even in otherwise well-staffed homes. The top 100 Washington facilities by RN hours appear below with their CMS Staffing Rating, Overall Rating, and bed count so you can weigh raw staffing against quality composite scores.
PBJ data is refreshed quarterly and lags the reporting quarter by roughly six months, so the table reflects the file CMS processed on Jul 1, 2026, not this week's staffing. Important: PlainDoctor presents CMS staffing figures exactly as published at data.cms.gov, with no custom weighting or editorial rankings. This table is a research starting point, not medical advice or a placement recommendation. Selecting a nursing home is a high-stakes healthcare decision, tour facilities in person, ask about nurse-to-resident ratios by shift, review the full CMS survey deficiency record alongside these staffing numbers, and consult licensed clinicians, hospital discharge planners, and elder-care advisors before committing.
Staffing in other large states
- Texas1,142
- California1,129
- Ohio903
- Florida676
- Illinois651
Common questions
What is the average RN staffing in Washington nursing homes?
Across 193 Medicare-certified facilities in Washington, the 189 that report RN hours average 0.941 RN hours per resident per day, compared to a national average of 0.685. This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) system.
How many nursing homes are in Washington?
Washington has 193 Medicare-certified nursing homes. The list on this page shows the top 100 ranked by RN hours per resident per day.
What does RN hours per resident per day measure?
RN hours per resident per day measures how many hours a registered nurse spends caring for each resident on average each day. Higher values generally indicate more nursing attention. The metric is derived from Payroll-Based Journal data that facilities must submit quarterly to CMS.
Should I choose a Washington nursing home based only on staffing?
No. Staffing is one important indicator, but you should also review health inspection deficiencies, quality measures, and the CMS Overall Star Rating. Tour facilities in person, ask about nurse-to-resident ratios by shift, and consult hospital discharge planners or elder-care advisors.
Source: CMS Five-Star Quality Rating System, Nursing Home Provider Information, processed Jul 1, 2026 (data.cms.gov).