Enabling nurse leaders to take days off when needed and supporting work-life balance are the two most effective strategies organizations have used to improve leader job satisfaction, according to an American Organization for Nursing Leadership Foundation study.
The 2024 Longitudinal Nursing Leadership Insight Study has surveyed leaders since July 2020. The latest report, based on a survey conducted in November 2023, included responses from 2,476 nurse leaders. The survey tracks nurse leaders' top challenges, effective solutions, mental health needs and areas for support.
Here are the strategies organizations implemented that nurse leaders said improved their work satisfaction:
Note: Respondents were instructed to select all that applied.
Enabled me to take a day off when needed: 57%
Supported my work-life balance: 48%
Provided professional development opportunities: 45%
Encouraged transparent communication: 35%
Increasing salary and compensation: 34%
Supported professional governance councils: 28%
Offered flex scheduling for me: 28%
Eliminated unnecessary meetings: 22%
Provided administrative support: 20%
Covered my direct reports when I was not on site: 20%
Increased nurse leader recognition: 15%
Reassigned non-nursing tasks to appropriate departments:10%
Launched a formal resiliency program: 8%
Adopted centralized scheduling systems: 8%
Decreased the number of my direct reports: 6%
Other: 4%