Burnout, Stress Fuel Nurse Staffing Shortage, Turnover Rates

Over a third of nurses plan to quit their current position by the end of 2022, citing burnout, stressful environments, and compensation as reasons for wanting to leave, according to a report from Incredible Health examining the nurse staffing shortage.

Nurses play a crucial role in healthcare settings, especially when it comes to supporting patient care. However, the industry has been facing high levels of nurse staffing shortages since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. New data revealed what health systems are doing to combat these shortages and what is driving nurses to leave their positions.

Incredible Health analyzed hiring data from more than 400,000 nurses who use the employment platform. The company also surveyed over 2,500 registered nurses in February 2022.

The Nursing in the Time of COVID-19 report found that 34 percent of nurses reported that it is very likely they will leave their job by the end of 2022. Almost half of the nurses (44 percent) said that burnout and high-stress environments are the main factors behind their decisions. Over a quarter cited benefits and pay as reasons to leave.

The report revealed that 40 percent of nurses who plan to leave their jobs intend to pursue a nursing role in a different location.

Additionally, 42 percent of respondents said they had started a new nursing role since January 2021. More than half said they changed positions because of higher pay, while 31 percent moved due to an improved schedule, and 25 percent took a new role in their preferred location.

However, 32 percent of nurses who plan to quit their positions intend to leave the nursing field or retire.

Nurses have faced discrimination and assault during the pandemic—another problem that is pushing them to leave the field, the report remarked.

Nearly two-thirds of nurses that responded to the survey reported that they had been verbally or physically assaulted by a patient or a patient’s family member during the past year. Around half of these aggressions were spurred by anger at hospital and COVID-19 guidelines and frustration about staffing levels and care delivery, Incredible Health found.

Additionally, 32 percent of nurses reported experiencing discrimination or racism while working, either from patients and their families or from coworkers and supervisors.

More than half of nurses (66 percent) said that they do not feel appreciated by their community for their role in helping to fight COVID-19. In order to make nurses feel more comfortable and improve retention, health systems must act accordingly.

Health systems have started implementing sign-on bonuses instead of higher salaries to attract more nurses. The report revealed that hourly rates have seen minor changes, but there was a 162 percent increase in total offers with signing bonuses.

Florida offered nurses an average sign-on bonus of $13,095, while the average sign-on bonus in Texas increased from $5,800 to $10,700 in the past year.

Health systems have also turned to travel nurses to combat workforce shortages. Three out of four nurses said they saw an increase in travel nurses in their unit during the past year. However, permanent nurses were not thrilled with this strategy, with 32 percent reporting feeling dissatisfied with the increase in travel nurses.

Most respondents said that compensation imbalances were the driving factor behind their dissatisfaction. Travel nurses typically receive higher wages from staffing agencies to help fill staffing gaps. Nurse staffing agencies have been the source of recent controversy, with lawmakers urging the White House to investigate price gouging by the agencies.

A handful of nurses said that patient care quality and unit culture were also negatively impacted by travel nurses.

The report suggested that health systems can help support their workforce by providing career advancement opportunities, offering more flexible schedules and competitive pay, and encouraging better teamwork. In addition, managers should include nurses in decision-making, ensure their staff take breaks, and conduct more wellness checks.