Nurses are not optimistic that this year will be better than last year, and more than a third of them are “very likely” to change jobs.
This is according to a new survey conducted by AMN Healthcare, a healthcare workforce Solutions company based in Texas.
Most nurses (80%) said they believe 2024 will be “no better or worse” for the profession than 2023, while 38% said it will be worse.
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Only 20% said they believe this year will be better than last year.
Given this, 35% of nurses surveyed said they are very likely to change jobs in 2024, and the majority (55%) said it is very likely or somewhat likely.
More than a third of nurses who participated in a recent survey of 1,155 nurses across the United States are “very likely” to change jobs. (iStock)
The survey collected responses from 1,155 nurses across the United States.
“The concerns that many nurses have about their profession were not created by COVID-19 and they haven't gone away now that the crisis has passed,” Robin Johnson, president of AMN Healthcare's nursing solutions group, who administered the survey, told Fox News Digital.
“Many nurses still feel overworked and underpaid. What they want to see is a change in their daily working conditions: better hours, fair compensation, and more time with their patients,” she continued.
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“This is not just a question of nurse morale. It is a public health affair.”
According to Johnson, a more engaged and productive nursing workforce means better care and better outcomes for the patients they serve.
“While the healthcare industry is well aware of this, the survey shows that more work needs to be done.”
“The number of nurses currently leaving the profession is the highest it has ever been,” one veteran nurse told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
Registered nurse Gretchen Berlin, a senior partner at McKinsey & Company in Washington, D.C., said the company's research has shown some troubling trends about nursing.
“We have surveyed nurses periodically for the past four years and the data consistently shows that about 30% want to leave their roles in direct patient care,” he told Fox News Digital.
“We have also conducted additional analysis and projected a shortage of nurses in patient care, which is also concerning.”
“This is not just a question of nurse morale. It is a question of public health.”
Sabrina Korentager, a registered nurse and ImpediMed consultant in Kansas, has been a nurse for 28 years.
“The number of nurses currently leaving the profession is the highest it has ever been,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Even more concerning is the level of nurses leaving nursing to pursue non-traditional nursing. If this trend continues, we will face a significant shortage of nurses to provide care to our aging society“.
Reasons for nurse burnout
There are many reasons for high levels of nurse burnout, Korentager said.
“Nurses are called on daily to perform in stressful situations that are emotionally and physically demanding,” he told Fox News Digital.
Many patients are being asked to work longer hours with fewer resources and care for more patients than they believe they can safely care for, experts say. (Martin Barraud via Getty Images)
“They are asked to work longer hours with fewer resources to provide care. Nurses are often asked to care for more patients than they believe they can safely do.” [accommodate]”.
Nurses are also encouraged to obtain higher-level degrees to continue working for the same pay and conditions, Korentager said.
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Other factors that contribute to burnout and job frustration include high patient-to-nurse ratios and heavy workloads, long hours, and shift work, emotional and mental stress, inadequate staff and lack of autonomy and recognition. This is according to Dr. Jane Tang, PhD, professor and dean of the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing and Health Professions at Gwynedd Mercy University in Pennsylvania.
According to Tang, wage inequality in the United States is also a big challenge.
Ensuring adequate staffing levels can reduce the workload of individual nurses, allowing them to provide better care and relieve stress, according to an expert in the field. (iStock)
“For example, in southern states, nurses may earn less than those in California,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Without equitable pay, underserved regions and populations face greater vulnerability.”
Workplace violence has also increased dramatically, Tang said.
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“This is not a popular topic to talk about, but it is a huge threat to the nursing and health professions,” he said.
“The physical and psychological abuse What nurses and healthcare professionals endure every day is different [the conditions of] any other profession.”
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated all of these challenges, experts agreed.
What needs to change?
To alleviate the challenges nurses face, Berlin of Washington, DC, highlighted the need to help nurses manage their workloads by delegating certain tasks and offering new technologies.
“One example is implementing technology to support flexible scheduling, which can free up much-needed time for nurses inside and outside of work,” he told Fox News Digital.
“While being a nurse is a true gift, the feeling of not having enough resources to care for patients can be overwhelming.”
“In our analysis, we found the potential to free up up to 15% of nurses' time through these types of efforts, time that we could give back to them to spend on the aspects of their work that bring them the most joy and satisfaction.”
Mentoring is another way to support new nurses, several experts said.
“Mentoring helps nurses cope with the emotional and stressful challenges they may experience on a daily basis.” (iStock)
“Mentoring helps nurses navigate the emotional and stressful challenges they can experience every day,” Korentager said.
“It allows nurses to receive guidance and support throughout their careers, which can help with frustration and burnout while providing clarity for career progression.”
According to Tang, ensuring adequate staffing levels can reduce the workload of individual nurses, allowing them to provide better care and relieve stress.
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“Safety in the workplace is also paramount for the physical and mental well-being as well as offering mental health support to help them overcome the emotional challenges of their profession and prevent burnout,” she said.
“Recognizing and appreciating the hard work and dedication of nurses significantly further improves morale and job satisfaction.”
Signs of positive change
Some organizations are optimistic about the improvements they are seeing in the nursing field.
Advent Health, for example, has seen a surge in nursing staff since the COVID pandemic.
Since 2020, the Florida-based health system has hired 10,000 registered nurses at its Central Florida hospitals and clinical care centers, according to a news release.
“We have made incredible strides in strengthening our nursing workforce,” said an AdventHealth representative. (iStock)
“We knew we needed to make recruitment and retention the top priority of our organization, so we committed to investing in our team members like never before and sought to inspire and mentor a new generation of nurses,” said Cathy Stankiewicz, AdventHealth Chief Nursing Officer. hospitals in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, in the statement.
He said the group has made great strides “in strengthening our nursing workforce.”
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AdventHealth also said it has cut billing in half since 2020 and reduced reliance on travel nurses by 98% since the peak of the pandemic.
“Listening directly to RNs about their needs and working together to make meaningful changes was critical to overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic and the nursing shortage,” said Michele Goeb-Burkett, chief nursing officer for AdventHealth hospitals in the United States. Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties. in the statement.
The group has made great strides “in strengthening our nursing workforce.”
Overall, experts agreed that nurses' well-being is an integral part of patient care.
“While being a nurse is a true gift, the feeling of not having enough resources to care for patients can be overwhelming,” Korentager told Fox News Digital.
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The continued demands to do more with less can negatively affect nurses' professional performance, health and personal lives, he warned.
“This can manifest itself in medical errors, inattention, or a general negative attitude toward patients. All of this can negatively affect patient outcomes and well-being.”
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