A new study from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has shed light on how the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect nurses’ job satisfaction. Results show that nursing turnover is reaching a new high, with 67% of respondents reporting they plan on leaving their job in the next three years (compared with 54% of respondents in 2018).
Here are a few more key findings from the survey:
– Just 24% of participants said they have sufficient staffing more than 75% of the time, compared with 39% in 2018.
– Just 40% of participants said they were very satisfied being a nurse, compared with 62% in 2018.
– Just 47% of participants agreed with the statement “My organization values my health and safety,” compared with 68% in 2018.
Despite these concerning reports, there’s good news, too:
In facilities that had implemented the AACN Standards for Establishing and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments, nurses were more engaged, satisfied, and likely to stay at their current role. In these hospitals:
– Participants were more satisfied with their unit’s staffing (44%) compared to others (16%).
– Participants were half as likely to plan to leave their job in the next year (26%), compared to others (52%).
– Significantly more participants were very satisfied with being a nurse (55%) compared to others (34%).
So what’s the bottom line?
In the wake of a global pandemic, it’s more important than ever for healthcare facilities to implement standards that create a healthy work environment for nurses. This leads to better engagement, decreased burnout, less turnover, and better patient care. To read more about AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment standards, visit their website here.
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