This audio is automatically generated. Please let us know if you have back.
Diving brief:
- More than a third of nurses said it was extremely likely they will change jobs this yearaccording to a survey carried out by recruitment company AMN Healthcare.
- The findings suggest that frustration is still high among nurses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that staff turnover will likely remain high in 2024, according to the report.
- Higher pay and increased workforce are essential for improving job satisfaction, according to the report. Three-quarters of nurses said better pay was extremely important to them, while 68% said it was crucial to have more nurses per patient in their workplace.
Dive overview:
AMN investigation is latest report revealing growing number of employees discontent after the pandemic, when burnout pushed nurses to consider leaving the profession.
During the public health emergency, health systems were faced increased labor costs as expensive temporary staffing and a more competitive market have made recruiting expensive, adding significant pressure to hospital margins in 2022.
Those the pressures are now easingbut hospitals will likely need to offer higher salaries and better benefits to attract and retain staff, according to a December report from credit agency Fitch Ratings.
But nurses are not convinced their situation is improving. The AMN survey, based on responses from 1,155 nurses across the country, found that only 20% of them thought 2024 would be better than 2023, and 37% predicted the year would be worse for nurses.
Overall, 55% said they were extremely or somewhat likely to change jobs this year. Similarly, 35% said it was extremely likely they would adjust their hours or schedule, according to the report.
“Nursing turnover and volatility have been endemic over the past several years,” Robin Johnson, president of the Nursing Solutions Group at AMN Healthcare, said in a statement. “This trend is likely to continue until nurses’ concerns are addressed.” »
Scheduling flexibility is also increasingly important in the wake of the pandemic, including options for part-time work, telehealth or hybrid roles, per diems or travel nursing jobs.
Fifty-eight percent of nurses surveyed said better hours or schedules were extremely important in their workplace.
Wellness and diversity programs were less valued by respondents, suggesting that tangible benefits such as higher pay, improved staffing and better hours were more essential to retaining staff.
Just over 40% of respondents said more wellness programs were extremely important, while 26% said more diversity among nurses was extremely important.