Nurses are thinking about leaving the profession
A new survey of 1000 American nurses finds that nine in 10 believe the quality of patient care often suffers because of a shortage of nurses. Most added that they feel guilty when they take a break because they feel like they always have to be on call (55%). Nearly six in ten nurses have even noticed that their patients are suffering because they have too much work to do (56%).
In addition, half of the nurses surveyed admitted that they had thought about leaving the nursing profession. The top reason nurses plan to leave the profession is the nursing shortage, followed by work-life imbalance, and they feel their mental health is at risk due to burnout and lack of gratitude.
Some respondents advised former nurses who had left the profession to return, saying: “COVID has been tough on the industry, but things are starting to improve.” The survey also asked nurses what they thought was the biggest source of dissatisfaction in nursing. Nurses responded that there are not enough staff (65%), low wages (39%) and a lack of respect for the work they do (34%). They said their profession does not allow them flexible hours (21%), not enough time for friends and family (21%) and not enough opportunities for career advancement (12%). If they could create their dream work schedule, most said they would want four-day weekends, time for a full lunch, more flexible shifts and more breaks.
The study also found that many nurses say they have observed and experienced discrimination based on race, gender or age. A fifth say they have witnessed harassment or mistreatment in the workplace. A third also noted that they did not feel supported by their employer. Nearly one in five nurses even said they have a side hustle outside of work because they want to bring more money to their families, pay off debt and offset the stress of being a nurse.
"Many nurses entered the profession because it was a calling and it was a job they loved," said Ted Jeanloz, CEO of connectRN, which conducted the survey. "If they come into work feeling burned out and let down by the system, they will lose track of why they became nurses in the first place. We have a responsibility to offer them the flexibility that so many other workers enjoy so they can be better nurses."
