Hospitals across the country are continuing to see a decline in nurses as some are looking to leave the profession altogether. This was an issue before the Covid-19 pandemic but became more evident after the pandemic. This can cause a plethora of issues, such as hazardous working conditions and staff turnover.
The U.S. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that the number of registered nurses could increase from 3 million in 2019 to 3.3 million a decade later. That's an increase of about 7.2%. A survey conducted by Nurse.com found that 29% of nurses are considering leaving their current profession, this is up 11% from the year before.
Another survey from Incredible Health revealed several reasons why nurses were leaving the profession altogether:
The loss of nurses across the country can lead to unsafe staffing levels in healthcare facilities. This can lead to hazardous working conditions, an increase in nurse-to-patient ratios, staff turnover, and dangerous working conditions. Which can lead to more nurse burnout.
How can nurses handle burnout?
The CDC offers a few tips when it comes to managing fatigue for healthcare workers. This includes getting plenty of sleep, avoiding alcohol, finding a buddy to do check-ins with and see how each other is coping, watching for signs and symptoms of fatigue, and reporting to a manager if you feel you are too fatigued to work.
How can FleetNurse help?
FleetNurse helps improve staffing levels and reduces staffing-related costs for facilities while providing nurses and nursing assistants flexibility in their work lives. Using innovation and technology, FleetNurse has become a trusted labor partner that connects health systems to quality healthcare providers on demand. Healthcare professionals are allowed to work on a schedule that works for them, while healthcare facilities are able to fill shifts at the last minute.