Nurse.org’s 2023 State of Nursing Report has revealed a number of insights into the modern nursing profession. The report, which surveyed more than 2,100 nurses, revealed that many nurses still feel burnt out, overwhelmed and uncertain about their futures.
“Nurses, we need you,” wrote Alice Benjamin, Nurse.org’s chief nursing officer and correspondent. “Nursing has always been the glue that holds healthcare together, and with continued strains on the profession, it’s vital that we lean on our resilience, our community, and our ingenuity to work towards change.
“The Covid-19 pandemic exposed problems not only in our healthcare system, but the unsettling work conditions that nurses face everyday. While there is still much work to do, we are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
“We must not give up. We are being heard and must push forward to see the action through. Progress can, and is, being made, but we need everyone, so please hang in there and let’s fight the good fight in unity.”
While a total 62% of nurses surveyed said they were not optimistic about the future of the field, in the past year, 45% of nurses reported feeling unsafe at work — a significant decrease from 56% in 2021.
“Overall, the majority of nurses still love being a nurse but a large percentage are concerned about the future of nursing.” the report said. “There are endless possibilities and career opportunities for nurses, especially those with a BSN but a significant number of respondents are not optimistic about the future of nursing.
“Nurses have mixed responses on how they feel about choosing nursing as their career. Only 36% of respondents are happy they chose the profession, while 40% are not. Unfortunately, it’s not surprising that a larger number of nurses are unhappy about choosing the profession, especially as more and more are leaving traditional bedside nursing for non-traditional roles.”
Despite the many woes found in modern nursing, including burnout and nationwide staffing shortages, a total 60% of nurses surveyed said they “love being a nurse.” When asked why they entered the field of nursing in the first place, the most popular answer was “I wanted to help others.”
“I’ve always wanted to help people so I wanted to enter the health sector,” Nurse Clare told Nurse.org. “While researching, I found out that nurses were the heart of the hospital. So, I decided to become a nurse to be the patient’s helping hand.”
Nurses with higher levels of education reported higher satisfaction ratings than those with only a bachelors degree — only 28% of whom reported being satisfied.
A whopping 91% of nurses said they believe the nationwide nursing shortage has gotten worse, citing burnout and poor working conditions as the causes.
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