Compared to other clinicians, nurses are the most likely to have plans to leave their organization in the next year, according to a KLAS report.
Researchers found that 26 percent of surveyed nurses reported plans to leave in the first quarter of 2021 (the quarter with the highest reported percentage since the first quarter of 2020).
"This spike could be attributable to a number of factors, including the increase in acute COVID-19 cases at the time, more prevalent cultural and political antagonism toward healthcare, and the resulting strain on healthcare workers," researchers said in the report published April 8.
The report is based on a KLAS Arch Collaborative survey that began in 2020, in which clinicians were asked about their likelihood of leaving their organization in the next two years. More than 59,000 physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses and allied health professionals had been surveyed as of April 8. The survey excluded physician residents and fellows.
Four other report findings:
1. Clinicians were more likely to leave as burnout increased. Among survey respondents who said they were completely burned out, 60 percent reported likelihood to leave.
2. Thirty-five percent of clinicians planning to leave reported a lack of shared values with organization leadership as a contributor to burnout. That compared to 17 percent for those not likely to leave.
3. Low trust in the organization and IT leadership were correlated with the likelihood of leaving. Thirty-five percent of clinicians who strongly disagreed that their organization implemented, trained on and supported the EHR well reported likelihood to leave their organization in the next two years.
4. A correlation was also found between EHR satisfaction and the likelihood that a clinician planned to leave their organization. Among clinicians who said they were very dissatisfied with the EHR, 34 percent reported likelihood to leave. That compares to 12 percent among clinicians who said they were very satisfied.
With these and other findings, researchers concluded that EHR satisfaction can be improved by reducing providers' and allied health professionals' after-hours charting time, and that turnover could be reduced by adjusting training to specific workflows.
Read more about the findings here.