Nearly 1 in 5 Massachusetts nurses aim to leave the field within the next two years, The Boston Globe reported March 29. More than half of them plan to retire.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association surveyed more than 500 nurses about their future career plans. Among the nearly 20 percent who plan to quit their nursing jobs, 40 percent would be driven by a desire to retire. Another 20 percent said short-staffing would contribute to their departure. Nineteen percent said stress and burnout would lead them to exit.
Where would nurses go if not nursing? Here's what those with plans to leave disclosed in the survey. Multiple responses to the question were accepted:
- Fifty-six percent would retire.
- Thirty-one percent would find another job outside of healthcare.
- Sixteen percent would go back to school.
- Fifteen percent would find another job in healthcare.
- Two percent would become full-time caregivers.
A mass departure of nurses would strain hospitals' finances further; in 2022, the state's hospitals spent more than $1.5 billion on temporary labor. However, nurses and hospitals disagree on the most effective way to improve conditions.
To improve conditions for nurses, Massachusetts' legislature is considering a safe staffing law, which would limit the number of patients one nurse could be assigned. The bill is currently sitting in the state's joint committee on public health. Similar measures exist in California and were recently cleared by the Washington state Senate. However, hospitals tend to push back against safe staffing ratios, saying they limit flexibility and could lead to site and service closures.