Nearly three of 10 nurses plan to change career path ... soon!

Nearly three of 10 nurses plan to change career path ... soon!

Nearly three of 10 nurses plan to change career path ... soon!
Nearly one-third of registered nurses surveyed in January 2010 say they will not be working in their current job a year from now, and nearly 50 percent say they plan to alter their career path in the next one to three years in a way that will take them out of the nursing field entirely or reduce their contribution to direct patient care, either by working fewer hours or choosing a less demanding role. What’s driving their decision to change career paths? Nearly half of those surveyed say their job is affecting their health. These are among key findings from the 2010 Survey of Registered Nurses: Job Satisfaction and Career Plans, conducted by AMN Healthcare, provider of health care staffing and management services. The survey, which collected data from 1,399 respondents, was conducted during a period of economic recession and in the course of an ongoing national debate over health care reform. The survey shows how RNs may have altered their career plans due to the recession, how they might respond to an economic recovery and whether they believe health care reform will address the nurse shortage. On the health care reform issue, only 6 percent of respondents were very confident that reform will provide a mechanism for ensuring an adequate supply of nurses, this at a time when industry data indicates the nation will face a shortage of 260,000 RNs by 2025. Estimates of the pending shortage provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics come in even higher. “Our survey clearly indicates significant job dissatisfaction, and that is concerning in terms of quality health care delivery,” says Ralph Henderson, president of AMN Healthcare’s Nursing and Allied Division. “Nurses are at the core of quality care in our nation’s delivery system and, if we see large numbers of nurses leaving the profession, it could negatively impact patient care outcomes.” A majority of nurses (55 percent) believe that the quality of care nurses provide today has declined compared to five years ago, according to the survey. The survey also notes that 29 percent of nurses plan to take steps in the next one to three years to reduce their role in nursing or take them out of the profession altogether. An additional 15 percent say they will make a change in their career path, such as becoming a travel nurse or nurse practitioner. While the survey highlights dissatisfaction of nurses with their current jobs, most nurses are satisfied with their careers overall. Fifty-nine percent would select nursing as a career if they had it to do it all over, and 64 percent would recommend nursing as a career to young people. “While nursing has made tremendous strides as a profession, in terms of pay and prestige, staffing shortages remain the profession’s greatest challenge,” notes Henderson. Of immediate concern, he says, is that 6 percent of nurses permanently employed in a hospital setting indicate they plan to retire in the next one to three years. This action would reduce the hospital nurse workforce by more than 70,000. This is of particular concern, since the number of new candidates taking the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become a registered nurse has flattened over the last year, suggesting no growth in the supply of new nurses entering the profession. “It is critical that we find ways to keep experienced nurses engaged in patient care and attract new nurses to the workforce,” Henderson says. These two things combined will help mitigate the impact of the nation’s growing nurse shortage, he observes. A complete breakdown of AMN’s 2010 Survey of Registered Nurses: Job Satisfaction and Career Plans is available at www.amnhealthcare.com. RNL