Staff shortages … strikes … salary disputes … Much of the news about nursing these days seems dire.
It’s not all gloom and doom, however, according to a new report by Incredible Health, a company that helps nurses find jobs and health care facilities find the right employees.
Incredible Health surveyed 3,000 nurses who use its platform to find out how they feel about the industry. The results show sunshine exists among the dark clouds.
According to its survey results, 80% of nurses said they will remain in health care until they retire. Last year, that number was only 55%. In addition, a majority of nurses — 54% — said they would recommend nursing as a career.
In a sign of optimism in job satisfaction, 10% fewer nurses this year said they plan to leave their roles within the coming year.
Nurses’ mental health also appears to be improving. While past surveys pointed out how health care workers’ mental state was declining, this year’s report showed a 1 percentage point increase. In 2023, 26% said they had good mental health.
Incredible Health’s survey results differ in some areas from a recent survey conducted by Nurse.org.
In that report, 62% of nurses surveyed said they were not optimistic about the future of the field, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Hunter Boyce wrote.
“Overall, the majority of nurses still love being a nurse, but a large percentage are concerned about the future of nursing.” that 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.”
That report also had a bright spot, however. Of those surveyed, 60% said they “love being a nurse.”
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