Nearly 750 surveyed nurses in Minnesota have identified poor hospital management and chronic short staffing as the top issues causing them to leave bedside care positions, according to a report released March 31 by the Minnesota Nurses Association.
The report is based on a survey of 748 nurses who left an MNA-represented nursing job in the last two years and did not take a new job in another MNA-represented facility. The survey was conducted between Dec. 22, 2021, and Jan. 17, 2022.
Four findings:
1. Thirty-five percent of nurses said management issues contributed to them leaving their bedside position. Sixteen percent said the same about short staffing.
2. Of the nurses who cited the pandemic as a contributing factor in their decision to leave their bedside position, nearly 40 percent also cited management concerns.
3. Of the nurses who cited stress or burnout as a contributing factor in their decision to leave their bedside position, 40 percent also identified poor hospital management and 26 percent identified persistent short staffing issues.
4. Fewer than 3 percent of surveyed nurses said COVID-19 vaccination requirements contributed to their decision to leave the bedside.
The Minnesota Nurses Association — which has more than 22,000 members in Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin — released the survey findings amid their support for the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act. Read more about the survey here.