A recent survey conducted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing in the US has found that around 100,000 registered nurses left their jobs due to the strains of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the survey revealed that an additional 610,388 registered nurses, with an average age of 57 and more than 10 years of experience, are planning to leave the workforce by 2027 due to stress, burnout or retirement. Another 189,000 nurses with an average age of 36 and 10 or fewer years of experience also reported planning to leave the industry for similar reasons.
The survey, which analyzed data from 29,472 registered and advanced nurses and over 24,000 licensed practical or vocational nurses across 45 states, found that there were over 5.2 million active registered nurses and 973,788 licensed practical nurses or vocational nurses in the US in 2022. Over a quarter of those surveyed reported intending to leave the industry or retire in the next five years.
Of the nurses surveyed, 62% said their workload had increased during the pandemic, while just over half said they felt emotionally drained at work. Almost half of the nurses reported feeling fatigued or burnt-out, with these concerns being most common among nurses with less than 10 years of experience.
Maryann Alexander, chief officer of nursing regulation at NCSBN and one of the study's authors, expressed shock at the findings, particularly regarding younger nurses. As experienced nurses retire or leave the industry, the burden will shift to those with less than 10 years of experience to become mentors, managers and leaders in nursing care, potentially leading to a healthcare crisis of massive proportions.
Alexander highlighted that while it is typical for younger nurses to leave the industry to pursue further education, it is concerning to see them leave due to stress and burnout. This exhausted tone was a driving factor behind a strike in New York in January, where over 7,000 nurses protested staffing shortages and burnout.
The findings of the survey pose a threat to the US workforce, particularly among younger and less experienced nurses. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing believes that hospitals and policymakers must act quickly to implement solutions and address these challenges.