Last Year in Review: How Do Nurses Feel About the Nursing Shortage?

As we transition into a new decade, we have a clear picture of how 2019 affected working nurses; and in turn, what we can learn from the previous year in healthcare. As the nursing shortage continues, nurses are being asked to carry a heavy load. A recent study from Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), which collected information from nurses on their attitudes and perspectives on a variety of issues relevant to their occupation. foreshadows a crisis on the horizon.We’ve all been hearing about the nursing shortage for years. Many have proposed solutions, instituted new programs to combat it, and the country is boasting rising graduation rates in the nursing profession in recent years, from associate degrees to BSN graduates. However, these steps are all falling short in the eyes of nurses. A staggering 52% of nurses reported that the shortage has gotten worse in the past year -- up 4 percent from 2018, and up 15% from 2017. If the efforts to curb the nursing shortage are not doing what they’re supposed to, what does the path forward look like?This path is beset by other perils. 86% of baby boomers, the demographic that makes up the plurality of working nurses, reported that they plan on retiring in the next five years. This could exacerbate the shortage in extreme ways. And it’s not just baby boomers who are feeling like they’re reaching the end of their rope -- out of all the nurses surveyed, 44% are actively considering quitting their jobs.However, the survey also reports that 86% of nurses are satisfied with their career choice. So what is leading so many to consider quitting? Workplace harassment and violence are noted in the survey, and as we’ve discovered in the past, poor staffing ratios and inadequate time to see and care for patients can make nurses feel undervalued and burnt out (click here to review all the findings from our Nurse Barometer Survey). They may love nursing, but they don’t love working for facilities that treat them poorly by understaffing nursing units and demanding more from nurses who already go above and beyond to care for patients every day.What can be done to both future-proof your facility, as well as increase the satisfaction of your nurses that report to work each day? PassportUSA is happy to share our solution with you. We can augment your nursing team with internationally-educated, U.S-licensed and work authorized experienced nurses. This solution will help alleviate the stress that current nurses feel and reinforce your nursing ranks in preparation for the coming "silver tsunami" of baby boomer retirements. Click below to get in touch with one of our business representatives. They have experience helping facilities across the nation manage the nursing shortage -- and they can help you too.