Nurses said workplace conditions improved in 2023 compared to 2022, but planned departure rates, abusive or violent events, and unsafe conditions were still high, a new survey finds. Additionally, understaffing remains a primary concern for most nurses, according to the survey published Thursday in JAMA Network Open.
The survey study included data from 9,150 nurse participants in 2022 and 7,059 nurses in 2023. All of the practicing registered nurses were part of the Michigan Nurses’ Study, which gauged their intentions to leave their current jobs within a one-year span.
According to the data, 32% of nurses were planning to leave their jobs in 2023 compared to 39.1% in 2022. Of those nurses, 41.8% were going to leave their current job but stay in nursing citing workloads as the top reason for planning their exit.
Another important finding is that 18% of nurses in 2023 and 27.9% in 2022 said they wanted to lower the hours they’d work. Healthcare systems rely part-time workers to fill in gaps, but more nurses reducing their hours may mean fewer nurses are available to fill in when needed, the team noted.
Factors associated with increased likelihood for planned departures included workplace abuse or violence and emotional exhaustion scores. Factors linked to a lower likelihood of planned departure included favorable environments and excellent clinical setting safety ratings, the data showed. The economy, family issues and other job opportunities may also be factors that go into a nurse’s choice to leave the job, the authors noted.
“Findings of this study suggest that improved working conditions are likely to promote nurse retention; health system leaders and policymakers should prioritize initiatives that support nurse retention and reduce potential workforce instability,” the authors wrote.
“Placed into context, the findings from these two surveys conducted approximately one year apart indicate moderately improved but persistently problematic workplace environments for registered nurses,” the authors wrote.
