One-Third of Nurses Plan to Leave the
Profession in Next Two Years, According to 3rd Annual Survey from
Cross Country Healthcare and Florida Atlantic University’s
Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
Cross Country Healthcare Launches New Check
Your Vitals Initiative in Response to Growing Mental Health
Concerns and Offers Nurses Needed Support
Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRN), a market-leading,
tech-enabled workforce solutions platform and advisory firm, today
announced the results of its annual survey of nursing professionals
and students. The study found that although nurses are passionate
about doing meaningful work and earning a good income, only
one-third of nurses plan to remain in the profession for the
foreseeable future, and about one-fourth plan to leave in just one
to two years from now. The survey, conducted in collaboration with
Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing,
found that more than half of nurses claim there is insufficient
staff to meet demand, which they regard as the worst part of the
profession, resulting in burnout and feeling overworked.
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Cross Country, in partnership with
Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing,
announced the results of its annual survey of nursing professionals
and students. The study found that although nurses are passionate
about doing meaningful work and earning a good income, only
one-third of nurses plan to remain in the profession for the
foreseeable future, and about one-fourth plan to leave in just one
to two years from now. The survey also found that more than half of
nurses claim there is insufficient staff to meet demand, which
they regard as the worst part of the profession, resulting in
burnout and feeling overworked. (Photo: Business Wire)
May is Nurse Appreciation Month and Mental Health Awareness
Month, and to help address some of the mental health struggles
facing our nurses today, Cross Country Healthcare is launching the
Check Your Vitals initiative, asking nurses to check their vitals,
or overall health and well-being, while offering tips and
strategies for nurses on maintaining both mental and physical
wellness. As part of the campaign, nurses are encouraged to wear
green to show support for mental health awareness and post their
green on social media using the hashtag #checkyourvitals.
“We had hoped that at this point past the pandemic, we would see
improvement in the sentiment of our nurses, but that’s simply not
the case,” said John A. Martins, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Cross Country Healthcare. “The decision to choose
nursing is more of a calling than a job. Nurses are tireless in
their passion for quality patient care, no matter how challenging
their working conditions may be. But the profession has reached a
breaking point, and it is well past time that industry leaders come
together to create reform to revitalize this essential
profession.”
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.
“Nurses are struggling and have been for years now. They are
overworked and understaffed, and addressing their well-being
challenges must be a critical priority for healthcare leaders,”
said Hank Drummond, Ph.D., MDiv, BA, RN, Senior Vice President, and
Chief Clinical Officer. “The patient experience is only as good as
the caregiver experience, so we need to ensure our caregivers are
well and cared for, both physically and emotionally.”
Other survey findings include:
- Nearly one in five employed nurses don’t know if they would
follow the same career path if they could talk to their former
selves.
- Most nurses overwhelmingly believe that increased pay
rates/incentives are necessary to attract and retain staff and
increase flexible scheduling.
- While many healthcare organizations offer opportunities for
growth and development, one in three nurses are unaware if their
employer has such opportunities, and one in five said their
employer does not.
- The most common well-being programs offered include Employee
Assistance Programs, hotlines, employer-paid healthcare,
flexibility and time off.
- Employed and unemployed nurses greatly believe in the value of
national licensure.
To help address some of the challenges facing the nursing
profession today, Cross Country Healthcare recommends five ways to
revitalize the profession, including:
- Create new opportunities for education.
- Identify new pathways at the high school, undergraduate and
postgraduate levels to expedite the supply of nurses.
- Recruit more nursing faculty to educate and train the next
generation of nurses.
- Offer flexibility and awareness of growth opportunities.
- Open every door to expedite the transition from the university
to the hospital floor and offer more fluid career paths that match
individual skills and ambitions to evolve and grow with the
person.
- Invest in retention strategies and well-being initiatives that
matter.
- Focus on enriching current and future nurses’ working
conditions and well-being to ensure long-term satisfaction and
subsequent retention.
- Technological innovation will drive the future.
- Use technology to understand better equitable workforce
distribution, workflow management, employee satisfaction and
well-being, and patient safety.
- Explore innovative staffing models.
- Explore innovative and flexible staffing models, including
travel and per-diem nurses, to provide agility and continuity of
quality patient care.
The complete study results in the research report are available
for download here.
About the Study
This national survey, titled, "The Future of Nursing: At the
Breaking Point,” was conducted with nearly 1,500 nursing
professionals and students at healthcare and hospital facilities.
The online survey was conducted between February 22 and April 14,
2023, in partnership with Florida Atlantic University’s Christine
E. Lynn College of Nursing.
About the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing is nationally and
internationally known for its excellence and philosophy of caring
science. The College was ranked No. 11 nationwide by US News and
World Report in 2021 for “Best Online Master’s in Nursing
Administration Programs” and No. 32 for the “Best Online Master’s
in Nursing Programs.” In 2020, FAU graduates earned a 95.9% pass
rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered
Nurses (NCLEX-RN®) and a 100% AGNP Certification Pass Rate. The
baccalaureate, master’s and DNP programs at Florida Atlantic
University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing are accredited by
the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The College is the
only one in the U.S. to have all degree programs endorsed by the
American Holistic Nursing Credentialing Corporation.
About Cross Country Healthcare
Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. is a leading tech-enabled
workforce solutions and advisory firm with 36 years of industry
experience and insight. We solve complex labor-related challenges
for customers while providing high-quality outcomes and exceptional
patient care. As a multi-year Best of Staffing® award winner, we
are committed to an exceptionally high level of service to our
clients, our homecare, education, and clinical and non-clinical
healthcare professionals. Our locum tenens line of business, Cross
Country Locums, has been certified by the National Committee for
Quality Assurance (NCQA), the leader in healthcare accreditation,
since 2001. We are the first publicly traded staffing firm to
obtain The Joint Commission Certification, which we still hold with
a Letter of Distinction. Cross Country Healthcare is rated as the
top staffing and recruiting employer for women by InHerSights, and
Certified™ by Great Place to Work®.
For three consecutive years, Cross Country has received the Top
Workplaces USA award from Energage and has also been recognized
with the Top Workplaces Award for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Practices and the Top Workplaces Awards for Innovation and
Leadership. Cross Country has recently been awarded the Women
Executive Leadership Elevate Award, recognizing gender diversity in
our Boardroom. We have a history of investing in diversity,
equality, and inclusion as a key component of the organization’s
overall corporate social responsibility program, closely aligned
with its core values to create a better future for its people,
communities, and its stockholders.
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Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. Karen Varga-Sinka, 813-944-7124
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
kvargasinka@crosscountry.com
Florida Atlantic University Gisele Galoustian, 561-985-4615
Senior Media Relations Director, Research and Health
ggaloust@fau.edu
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