Ask any nurse what’s the worst part of their job and the answer you’re likely to get is, “where do I begin?”
From being kicked, punched, bitten and scratched, spat on and cursed at, nurses across America, the UK and the Caribbean say things have gotten so bad, they are ready to quit and transition out of the industry altogether.
Many of these nurses quit for a number of reasons, but some say patient violence, gruelling and unpredictable work schedules along with the day-to-day job requirements, puts serious wear and tear on their bodies.
Others say low wages and unsupportive administrators, who often side with the patients, are also driving them away from the hospitals.
On top of that, many deal will serious bullying from more senior nurses.
Administrators say it’s part of the job.
Nurses say, it’s abuse.
And it’s not just the patients who attack. Sometimes, it’s the family members.
According to the latest data (2021-2022) from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare and social service workers experience the highest rates of injuries caused by workplace violence and are five times as likely to get injured at work compared to workers overall.
Of the total workplace violence in health care and social assistance from 2021 to 2022, 69% (28,970 cases) required days away from work and 30.9% (12,980 cases) required days of job transfer or restriction.
Nursing Shortages Will Get Worse
According to a study by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, during the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 100,000 registered nurses left the profession.
The study also revealed that more than 610,000 RNS said they intend to leave the health care workforce by 2027 due to stress, burnout or retirement.
In 2022, Global consulting firm McKinsey & Company predicted that the United States would experience a shortfall of 200,000 to 450,000 registered nurses for direct patient care by 2025. That’s a 10 to 20 per cent gap.
The firm says to meet this demand, the United States would need to “more than double the number of new graduates entering and staying in the nursing workforce every year for the next three years straight.”
“Covid-19 has altered many US nurses’ career plans. Over the past two years, McKinsey has found that nurses consistently and increasingly report planning to leave the workforce at higher rates compared with the past decade,” McKinsey said.
“In our latest McKinsey survey, 29 per cent of responding RNs in the United States indicated they were likely to leave their current role in direct patient care, with many respondents noting their intent to leave the workforce entirely.”
Things are so bad in many countries in the Caribbean, that nurses leave and take up jobs in Canada, the US and the UK.
After Two Years, 50% Of Nurses Quit
According to nurse.org, 50% of nurses quit within two years.
Heavy workloads, poor sleep quality and even being picked on by senior or more experienced nurses are driving many nurses away.
According to the Pan-American Health Organization, the Americas needs between 600,000 and 2 million more healthcare professionals to address its needs.
According to recent estimates, Latin America and the Caribbean have around 44.3 nursing professionals per 10,000 inhabitants, far lower than the estimated 70.6 per 10,000 needed to meet the United Nations’ goal of universal health access and coverage by 2030.
Canada is no different.
According to Financial Post, Canada’s health care system is struggling to retain young workers.
In addition to that, a report released by the Montreal Economic Institute, says nurses are leaving the profession before they turn 35.
The think tank estimates that by 2030 – five years from now – Canada will have a shortage of 117,600 nurses.
For every 100 nurses trained in the country who started working in the field in 2022, there were 40 who left the profession before their 35th birthday, the report released on Sept. 25 reveals. This means that in a single decade, the proportion of young nurses abandoning the system has gone up 25 per cent from 2013.
But, it doesn’t stop there.
In the UK, the Royal College of Nursing noted that an increasing number of UK-trained nurses are set to leave the profession in England.
These departures in the Caribbean, the UK, Canada and the US have forced hospitals to hire nurses from the Philippines to fill gaps in their nursing workforce.
In 2024, more than a third of nurses across the US said they were “extremely likely” to change jobs.
A survey by staffing firm AMN Healthcare canvassed 1,200 nurses nationwide and found that just 20% of nurses believed 2024 would be better than 2023, and 37% predicted the year would be worse for nurses.
35% of the nurses said it was extremely likely they would just adjust their hours or schedule.
So, What’s Driving The Burnout?
Staff shortages, which leads to too much work, low pay and lack of respect and support from hospital administrators are some of the leading causes of nurses experiencing burnout.
It also doesn’t help that the remaining workers are required to take on more responsibility when other nurses quit.
On top of that, many nurses quit because they say they are getting no financial rewards.
“People think nursing and nurses are top tier. We are struggling financially, said one nurse who spoke to This Bahamian Gyal on condition of anonymity.
When I first got into the profession, I was looking at buying a home. The bank manager actually laughed in my face and told me to find someone who can cosign a loan with me if I want a house because that won’t happen.”
The nurse continued, “The patients have all the rights. The company listens to them before us. I was told early in my career that I was nothing more than a certified poop cleaner and I needed to clean like it was my job.”
What impact will this have on patients?
Nursing shortages can have serious consequences for patients.
Reduced quality of care, longer wait times for treatment and an increased risk for medical mistakes are just some of the ways patients can be impacted.
We all know how frustrating it can be when either we or a loved one can’t get an appointment in a reasonable timeframe. Those wait times are exacerbated when you don’t have sufficient staff to deal with patients.
Patient satisfaction also goes down and there could be delayed care that could be life-saving.
If More Nurses Quit Where Will They Go?
The COVID-19 pandemic put a lot of strain on the health care system, stretching resources and manpower. Now, nurses say they want more flexibility in their schedules.
To restore some work-life balance, many are opting for hybrid roles or are reducing their hours to work part-time.
As for wellness programs, the nurses responding to the survey said they wanted more tangible benefits, like higher salaries and improved staffing.
If the healthcare system has any plan to stop these losses they are going to have to overhaul the industry. If they don’t, they can expect more nurses to quit.
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