Almost 25% of registered nurses surveyed at the beginning of 2011 said they would seek a new employer as the economy improves, according to a new report. A year ago, only 15% said they would seek a new place of employment.
The report, the 2011 Survey of Registered Nurses: Job Satisfaction and Career Plans, was conducted by the medical staffing agency AMN Healthcare. It found that while career satisfaction among registered nurses is high (74%), satisfaction with the role of nurses play in healthcare now is notably lower (58%).
“Our survey clearly indicates a significant job satisfaction decline from 2010 to 2011 and that seems to be driving nurses’ desire for change,” said Ralph Henderson, AMN’s nursing and allied division president. “Nurses are at the core of quality care in our nation’s delivery system. If nurses change jobs in large numbers — as they say they will in our survey — that may increase nurse vacancy, thus putting stress on staffing resources. That, in turn, would impact patient care outcomes.”
Additionally, 32% of nurses surveyed said they plan to make a move toward leaving the profession altogether — either by retiring or looking for non-nursing jobs, or by decreasing the amount of clinical work they do. Only 26% of nurses surveyed planned similar career moves in 2010. Nearly half of the respondents said they would not advise younger individuals to pursue nursing as a career.
From the August 01, 2011 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
