Registered Nurse Survey Finds Workplace Pressures Are Growing

Millions of registered nurses face growing pressures ontheir professional and personal lives in the new decade due to increased demandfor services, nursing shortages, and structural changes in the healthcareindustry, according to a newly released survey of nearly 20,000 RegisteredNurses (RNs) by AMN Healthcare.

The survey, AMN Healthcare 2019 Survey of Registered Nurses:A Challenging Decade Ahead, found warning signs of larger problems ahead,including that significant percentages of nurses are working second jobs – andmany with two full-time jobs. Nurses say they are unable to spend the time theyneed with patients, and most have been affected by some form of workplaceviolence, a recognized hazard of the healthcare industry. Nurses are concernedthat their jobs affect their health, and many say they are planning to leavetheir current jobs, either to another nursing job, retirement, or getting outof bedside nursing altogether. Their biggest influence to remain at a job —even greater than pay — is flexibility and work-life balance.

Nursing Pressures Grow in the 2020s

Pressures on nurses may intensify in the next decade as theaging of America enters a rapid phase, which will increase demand forhealthcare services (people 65+ have three times more hospital days than themiddle aged) and accelerate the retirement wave of Baby Boomer nurses. At thesame time, the healthcare industry will undergo dramatic structural changes dueto consolidation and the movement to value-based medicine.

"From everything we know, this next decade will beextremely challenging for the nursing profession and healthcare in general,with serious workforce issues facing healthcare organizations at a time whenmany nurses are already experiencing tremendous pressure," said Dr. ColeEdmonson, chief clinical officer at AMN Healthcare. "The 2019 RN Surveycan help healthcare organizations understand and prepare for the workforceissues they face, particularly through addressing the need for greaterflexibility and work-life balance, better professional developmentopportunities, embracing diversity, and reducing workplace violence."

The survey found that more than one in five nurses holdsmore than one job, and many of them hold two full-time jobs. Two-thirds worrythat their jobs are affecting their health, 44 percent  say they often consider quitting their jobs,and 41 percent say they usually don't have the time they need to spend withtheir patients.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administrationsays workplace violence is a recognized hazard of the healthcare industry, andRN survey responses affirm this. More than two in five nurses say they havebeen victims of bullying, incivility, or any other form of workplace violence,while an additional one in four say they have witnessed workplace violence.

Improving Professional and Personal Lives of Nurses

The survey also suggests areas where healthcareorganizations can help improve the professional and personal lives ofregistered nurses. Nurses who say their organizations strongly supportprofessional development and workplace diversity have greater job satisfactionand are more likely to remain at their current jobs. Improving work-lifebalance and flexibility, along with enhancing safety practices and better addressingworkplace violence, including bullying, incivility, and assault by patients,can create much better workplaces for nurses.

Other highlights from the 2019 RN Survey include: 86 percentof Baby Boomer nurses plan to retire in the next five years, percent of nursessay they are satisfied with their career choice, and 65 percent say they aresatisfied with their current jobs. 43 percent of nurses say their organizationsdoes extremely well or very well in supporting professional development, and 29percent say their organization does slightly well or not well at all atsupporting professional development.