Majority of Nurses Attribute Well-Being Struggles to Staffing Shortages - Seite 2

According to the survey, nurses reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety (46%), insomnia (35%), and depression (32%). Most employed nurses (83%) do not utilize mental health or well-being counseling, despite employers offering such services. The leading cause for poor mental health was staffing shortages (71%), followed by a lack of support resources (55%). The nurses’ experience with the COVID-19 pandemic has added to feelings of discontent, and nearly two in five employed nurses said it dramatically increased their desire to leave the profession. The findings come as the United States Health Resources & Services Administration predicts a national projected shortage of 63,720 full-time registered nurses in 2030 and a projected shortage of 141,580 full-time licensed practical nurses in 2035.

With regard to mental health in nursing students, 61% said their school offers mental health and well-being resources, including student assistance programs, gyms and fitness resources, counseling, food and nutrition services, and a mental health and well-being hotline. Forty-seven percent of students use the mental health offerings from their school, and 53% find them useful. When asked if they were satisfied with their decision to become a nurse, 93% of student nurses said they are.

“Despite the many challenges and stressors that have contributed to burnout and nurses being on the brink of a breaking point in their professional careers, nurses and nursing students remain overwhelming satisfied with their career choice,” said Safiya George, Ph.D., Holli Rockwell Trubinsky Eminent Dean and Professor, Florida Atlantic University, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. “Nurses have endured and thrived over the years. The profession as a whole will need a lot more investment of human capital as well as fiscal and other supportive resources moving forward. This national survey has helped to identify innovative ways to improve quality of work and life for current and the next generation of nurses.”

The Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing offers accredited programs at all levels to prepare and train students, including Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Ph.D. programs. A BSN-DNP program with a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner concentration and post-graduate dermatology and telehealth certificate courses, and other concentrations that combine innovation and technology are also offered to address healthcare provider shortages.