Why do 30% of US nurses want to quit profession?

A recent survey shows that almost 30% of the nurses in the United States plan to quit their profession after the COVID-19 pandemic left them overwhelmed and fatigued.

The survey, conducted by AMN Healthcare Services Inc in January, included over 18,000 nurses. It revealed that 30% of the participants are looking to quit their careers, up 7 percentage points over 2021, when the pandemic-triggered wave of resignations started.

The survey also showed that 36% of the nurses intend to continue working in the field but may switch workplaces.

AMN Healthcare CEO Cary Grace said in an interview: “This underscores the continued mental health and well-being challenges the nursing workforce experiences post-pandemic.”

The survey revealed changes are required, with 69% of nurses aiming for raised wages and 63% of them desiring securer working conditions to lower their tension.

This comes at a time hospital operator and sector bellwether HCA Healthcare indicated a recovery in staffing situation.

While a shortage of staff in hospitals has been an issue for a couple of years, it gained traction globally in late 2021 and hit a peak early last year following a large number of resignations due to burnout.

The staffing crisis drove up costs at hospital operators while boosting profits at medical staffing providers such as AMN Healthcare.