Nearly half of nurses have contemplated leaving their occupation behind, according to a survey by employment agency RNnetwork.
Researchers asked more than 600 nurses nationwide how they feel about a myriad of issues, including the national nursing shortage, workload and work-life balance. The nurses range in age from 25 to 55. Most work in hospitals.
Here are nine survey findings.
1. The survey found nearly half of nurses (49.8 percent) have considered leaving the profession.
2. Twenty-seven percent of respondents cited feeling overworked as the primary reason for wanting to leave nursing. That was followed by 16 percent of nurses not enjoying their job. Eleven percent of nurses said they "want something new."
3. Sixty-five percent of nurses felt physicians respected them, the survey found.
4. However, researchers said almost half of nurses who consider leaving the profession don't feel respected by administrators.
5. The survey also found many nurses have experienced harassment or bullying from other nurses, physicians and administrators. Specifically, 45 percent of nurses have been verbally harassed or bullied by other nurses, and 41 percent have been verbally harassed or bullied by managers or administrators, researchers said. A smaller portion of nurses (38 percent) said they have been verbally harassed or bullied by physicians.
6. More than half of nurses who said they were harassed at work indicated they were considering leaving the profession. For those who did not report harassment, the survey found 32 percent of nurses thought about leaving their profession.
7. Less than 30 percent of nurses said they work more hours today than they did two years ago, according to the survey. Nearly half (49 percent) are working the same hours and 23 percent are working less.
8. However, the survey found 46 percent of nurses said they are more overworked now than they were two years ago. Thirty-five percent said they have the same free time, and 18 percent said they are less overworked.
9. Sixty-two percent of respondents feel the national nursing shortage has strongly impacted their workload but the shortage has not impacted how much they make, researchers said.
Read the full survey findings here.
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