The nurse.com 2022 "Nurse Salary Research Report" found 29 percent of nurses are considering leaving the profession — a dramatic increase from the 11 percent who said the same in the 2020 survey.
The survey was led by Relias, the parent company of nurse.com, and its research partner, Brandware. A total of 2,516 nursing professionals completed the survey between Nov. 12 and Dec. 12, 2021. Not all survey questions had a sample size of 2,516, since respondents had the option of choosing not to answer and skipping to the next question.
Four more key takeaways:
1. Salaries are up for nurses across licensures. The median RN salary reported by respondents was $78,000, up from $73,000 in 2020. The median salaries are up $13,000 for advanced practice registered nurses and $3,000 for licensed practical/vocational nurses.
2. About 28 percent of nurses said they've changed work settings in 2020 or 2021, with higher pay and dissatisfaction with management as key drivers of the changes.
3. The gender pay gap for RNs has widened. Survey findings indicated the median salary for a male RN is $14,000 higher than that for a female RN. In 2020, this gap was $7,297. A higher proportion of male nurses said they negotiate salary always or most of the time than female nurses, a potential factor in the pay gap.
4. Regular merit increases affect job satisfaction. Eighty-three percent of nurses selected regular merit increases as most important when asked about how important various items are to their overall job satisfaction. This was followed by ability to use full scope of practice (65 percent) and manager (59 percent).
To view the full report, click here.