The number of nurses planning to leave their workplace dropped year-over-year, according to a study published July 18 in JAMA Network Open.
In 2022, 39.1% of nurse survey respondents said they had intentions to depart within one year, but results from 2023 showed marginal improvement. The rate dropped to 32% who expressed intentions to depart their workplace, according to the data. The 2022 survey had slightly more respondents at 9,150, compared to only 7,059 in 2023.
Still, the results indicate a shift in the trend. In addition, fewer nurses also reported plans to reduce hours in 2023 compared to 2022 — 18% compared to 27.9% in 2022. Fewer also indicated they intend to pursue travel nursing, with only 7% saying that was part of their plans in 2023, compared to 18.1% in 2022.
Nurses are also feeling better about how abusive or violent events, and unsafe conditions in the workplace, are handled.
While emotional exhaustion received lower scores from nurses in 2023, there were marginal improvements in unfavorable practice environments, workplace abuse and violence, staffing issues, and mandatory overtime, since 2022.
But the profession continues to grapple with persistent issues that continue to make some want to leave entirely. The most common reasons nurses reported wanting to leave in the 2023 survey were:
- Unmanageable workloads — 29.4%
- Concerns with management and leadership issues — 25.6%
- Pay and benefits — 20.8%
"Few policy provisions have been enacted to address the primary reason for planned departures: persistent understaffing," the authors of the study wrote. "Health care professionals and the public at large can query elected officials and candidates for office on their proposals to retain practicing RNs and expand the population of nurses available to meet the growing need for high-quality, equitable health care. Health system leaders and policymakers should prioritize initiatives that support nurse retention and reduce potential workforce instability."