WalletHub has released its 2023′s Best & Worst States for Nurses report, revealing the highs and lows of this year’s health care industry. Georgia nurses have seemingly been having a bad year, as the Peach State coming in at No. 39. With nurses facing a number of work woes ranging from violence to burnout, finding a good place for a health care hero to plant their roots and begin a nursing career has never been more difficult.
Much of what modern nurses face are perennial problems in the nursing industry that have been exasperated by the pandemic. The International Council of Nurses named the worldwide nurse staffing crisis a “global health emergency” in March. According to a survey of over 2,100 nurses in Nurse.org’s 2023 State of Nursing Report, many nurses in 2023 feel burnt out, overwhelmed and uncertain about their futures.
Having scored each state based on “work environment” and “opportunity and competition,” which feature weighted sub-categories that range from health care facilities per capita to average starting salaries, WalletHub ultimately ranked Georgia as the 39th best state for nurses in 2023. Hawaii scored the worst out of any state, with Washington earning the highest ranking.
Georgia ranked highly in the “opportunity and competition” category, due to wages that are higher than almost every other state this year. But Georgia scored the second lowest in the “work environment” category.
According to a June 2023 report by Becker’s Hospital Review, Georgia was found to be one of the worst state’s in the country when it comes to health care. The news outlet noted the irony of the state with the highest nurses pay having the worst quality of health care.
“We know that retaining high-quality nurses is essential to improve patient outcomes and overall healthcare delivery,” George Mason University professor of school of nursing Rebecca E. Sutter, DNP, APRN, BC-FNP, told WalletHub. “Some strategies to retain nurses include offering competitive salaries and benefits packages, providing opportunities for professional growth and development, such as continuing education programs and tuition reimbursement, providing flexible work schedules, ensuring safe staffing levels, and recognizing and appreciating the contributions of nurses through awards programs or employee recognition events.
“Additionally, leadership should provide an opportunity for career advancement within the organizations. Providing support for nurse leadership positions through mentorship programs and leadership training can help prepare nurses for leadership roles and increase their career satisfaction.”
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