Nurses see little improvement in 2024, survey finds
Most nurses want better pay, and 35% say it's extremely likely they will change jobs this year.
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At 80%, a significant majority of nurses think 2024 will be either no better or worse for them than 2023, according to a new survey by AMN Healthcare.
Forty-two percent said 2024 will be the same for nurses as 2023 and 38% said it will be worse, while only 20% said it will be better.
In a finding the survey found concerning, over-one third of nurses surveyed (35%) said it is extremely likely that they will change jobs in 2024. The majority (55%) said it is very likely or somewhat likely that they will do so.
Thirty-five percent said it is extremely likely they will change their hours or schedules this year, while 58% said they are extremely likely or somewhat likely to do so.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT
To prioritize these concerns, the survey asked nurses what's important to them in their workplaces in 2024. Priority number one was compensation. Three quarters of nurses (75%) said better pay is extremely important to them, followed by 68% who said more nurses per patient is extremely important. Fifty-eight percent said better schedules are extremely important.
A smaller number (47%) said more recognition for nurses is extremely important to them, while 42% said wellness programs are extremely important.
Nurses were also asked what impact they felt they had on the health and well-being of their patients in 2024. Only 37% said their impact has been extremely positive, and 74% said their impact has been moderately or somewhat positive, while 9% said their impact has been slightly or not at all positive.
They were then asked how much pride they take in being a nurse. Only 37% said they are extremely proud to be a nurse, 44% said they are moderately or somewhat proud, while 19% said they are slightly or not at all proud.
The report is based on responses from 1,155 nurses nationwide with a margin of error of 3%.
THE LARGER TREND
A 2023 nurse.org survey showed 60% of nurses still love the profession. But 62% are concerned about the future.
The numbers are an improvement from 2021, but nurses are still reporting high levels of burnout, mental health issues and lack of support, among other hardships. About 39% of them said they were dissatisfied with their current job, though this answer varied based on education level and specialty.
Staffing issues and an ongoing nursing shortage continue to cause challenges for the nation's nursing workforce. A full 91% of respondents believe the nursing shortage is getting worse and that burnout, poor working conditions and inadequate pay are the primary causes.
Meanwhile, 79% said their units are inadequately staffed, while 71% said improving staffing ratios would have the greatest impact on the nursing shortage. And of course, nurses want better pay. Fifty-five percent saw a pay increase during the last year, but 75% still feel underpaid and 52% believe their hospital does not pay nurses with similar experience equally.
Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.
