News: One-third of nurses plan to quit their jobs because of burnout
More than one-third (34%) of nurses said they likely will quit their job by the end of 2022, citing burnout and a high-stress working environment as the primary reason, according to Nursing in the Time of COVID-19.
Not all are leaving nursing, altogether. Some 40% plan to pursue a nursing role elsewhere, as reported by HeatlhLeaders. Forty-four percent of survey respondents cite burnout and a high-stress environment as the reason for their desire to leave. Additionally, 65% said they’ve been verbally or physically assaulted by a patient or patient’s family within the last year. Anger regarding hospital/COVID-19 guidelines (52%) and frustration around staffing/care (47%) were the contributing factors leading to this aggression. Nearly one-third of respondents (32%) said they’ve experienced racism at work.
Compensation is a crucial issue for nurses, but it is just one contributing factor leading to high turnover.
Nearly half (42%) of survey respondents have started a new nursing role since January 2021. The main reason nurses moving to new roles was higher pay, as 58% reported pay as their motivating factor to find a new job, while 44% plan to change jobs because of burnout and a high-stress environment.
Other primary reasons nurses changed jobs included:
- Searching for a different role (33%)
- An improved schedule (31%)
- Their preferred location (25%)
- Career advancement or training opportunities (24%)
- Better staffing overall (24%)
Editor’s note: This article was originally published by HeatlhLeaders. Additional ACDIS coverage of burnout issues can be found here.