Members of the Minnesota Nurses Association have identified chronic understaffing, working conditions and management as the top issues causing them to leave bedside care positions, according to a report released March 6 by the union.
The report is based on responses by nearly 500 nurses to a survey of more than 2,400 MNA nurses who left a bedside nursing position within the past year and did not take a new position in an MNA-represented hospital. The survey was conducted between Dec. 20, 2022, and Feb. 8.
Four findings, according to the report:
1. Respondents cited stress and "burnout" (75 percent), chronic understaffing (71 percent), working conditions (63 percent) and management issues (49 percent) as the top reasons they left their bedside nursing positions.
2. Of the respondents who identified stress or so-called "burnout" as a driving factor in their departure, nearly 82 percent also cited short staffing concerns, 71 percent also cited working conditions, and more than half also cited management concerns.
3. Only 1 percent of respondents considered the pandemic to be the top driving factor in their departure.
4. Sixty-three percent of respondents said improved staffing is the top change needed for them to return to the bedside.
The Minnesota Nurses Association released the survey findings amid their support for the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act, a proposal in the legislature to implement nurse staffing ratios.
In a March 6 news release shared with Becker's, the Minnesota Hospital Association warns that the proposal "would have drastic, negative impacts on patient care, access, and cost, reducing availability of hospital care across the state." The group instead supports other investments the legislature can make, including expansion of the loan forgiveness program for nurses and other workers. The group also supports additional mental health funding potentially with a grant program targeting the mental health needs of healthcare workers.