SURVEY

31% of Hospital Nurse Leaders Plan to Change Jobs in the Next Year

Burnout Common Among Hospital Chief Nursing Officers and Other Nurse Leaders

DALLAS, Feb. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Close to one third of hospital nurse leaders (31%) plan to leave their jobs in the next year, according to a new survey by AMN Healthcare, the nation’s leading healthcare talent acquisition and technology company. Burnout is a key factor driving nurse leader turnover, with 72% of nurse leaders surveyed indicating they sometimes, often or always experience burnout.

“Like millions of front-line nurses, nurse leaders are facing challenging work conditions that can exacerbate stress and fuel turnover,” said Christine Mackey-Ross, President of AMN Healthcare Leadership Solutions. “The job satisfaction and personal wellbeing of nurse leaders therefore should be a primary concern of any healthcare facility seeking to maintain the continuity and effectiveness of its nurse staff.”

Top Challenges and Solutions Facing Nurse Leaders

AMN Healthcare’s 2024 Survey of Nurse Leaders suggests that the top three challenges facing nurse leaders are workforce related. The primary organizational challenge identified by nurse leaders is nurse staff recruitment and retention, followed by staff burnout and labor shortages.

When asked to identify the methods they are using to improve nurse hiring and scheduling at their facilities, 58% of nurse leaders said they are using internal nurse float pools, which allow permanent staff nurses to work on temporary assignments similar to those worked by travel nurses.

Close to half of nurse leaders (48%) said they are using virtual interview platforms to improve nurse hiring, 47% said they are using online tools to streamline the onboarding process, and 34% said they are using apps that allow nurses to select and control their own schedules.

“Nurse workforce management and costs remain key challenges that can drive nurse leader turnover and burnout,” Mackey-Ross said. “However, new tools and technologies now are available that can allow nurse leaders to better plan for and address their workforce needs, provided they have the resources to implement them.”

Lack of Resources

The survey indicates that many nurse leaders do not have these resources. Only 34% of nurse leaders said they have “a great deal” or “a lot” of the financial resources they need to address nurse workforce needs, while only 33% said they have “a great deal” or “a lot” of the technical resources they need.