As our country navigates the largest healthcare crisis that we have ever seen, the need for qualified healthcare staff has never been highlighted more. Even before the Coronavirus pandemic, the nurse staffing crisis was reaching a boiling point.

As healthcare providers, it is important to use market research and data to help craft a meaningful strategy to not only recruit qualified nurses, but retain them as well. Sometimes it helps to take a step back and look strategically through a broader lens to better help develop or breathe new life into your strategy.

I have taken key highlights from 4 major nurse opinion research and survey reports that have been published recently to help you think about new ways to attract and keep your nurses happy. I hope this helps you as you fill these key open positions in your healthcare organization!

Nurse.com survey 2020

Survey of 936 RN’s – full time, part time and Per Diem

  • 97% feel nursing makes a difference in people’s lives
  • Slightly more than 50% were satisfied with salary and benefits
  • 71% felt treated with respect by managers and colleagues
  • Only 49% said leadership and management clearly communicated strategies and achievable goals
  • 71% said they were not looking for new jobs, 29% were
  • Of those looking, 54% had 5 years of less experience, 22% had 15 years or less experience
  • Only 46% said they received opportunities for growth and advancement

2015 Georgetown University Study on Nursing Supply and Demand Through 2020

  • In 2020 there is a shortfall in the U.S. of close to 193,000 nurses
  • There are currently 4 Million nurses in the U.S. – 3.2 Million RN’s, 700K LPN’s
  • Nursing demand driven by 70 million Baby Boomers turning 65 years of age or older by 2030
  • Top three dissatisfiers cited of being a nurse
    • 1. Stressful work, 2. Long Hours, 3. Erratic Schedules
  • Average age of a nurse in U.S. is 45
  • 60% of all nurses in the U.S. are over 40 years old
  • 51,000 qualified nursing school applicants are rejected annually due to lack of adequate faculty and facilities to move students through the pipeline
  • 1/4 of all nursing openings in the U.S. are in New York, California and Texas

2019 Medscape Nurses Satisfaction of Career Report

10,690 nurses surveyed

  • Most rewarding aspect of the job…helping people 46%, Relationship with patients 13%, Being proud to be a nurse 7%
  • Most unrewarding part of the job…Administration/politics 26%, Time spent on documentation 12%, Patient care ratios too high 9%, Lack of physician respect 7% and erratic scheduling practices also contributed to dissatisfaction…
  • 56% of nurses are unsure or unprepared to retire
  • Early career nurses…Time it took to find first job.    2 months, Starting pay $23.30 per hour, only 10% received a hiring bonus

2018 Medscape Nurses Compensation Report

7,145 nurses surveyed

  • Annual income RN: $80K per year
  • FT Avg hourly wage: $38 per hr.
  • Salaried RN annual income: $83K per year, Hourly RN annual income: $78K per year
  • Salary by setting: Hosp. $83K annual, Home Health $80K, Hospice $76K, Skilled Nursing $75K
  • Annual Salary: Male $83K Female $80K
  • Bonuses for specialty certification: 28% received increase in pay, 6% received one-time bonus, 60% received nothing
  • Salaries by experience: 21 years or more $84K, 11-20 years $79K, 6-10 years $73K, less than 5 years $66K
  • Overtime: 13% more than 10 hours of overtime a week, 57% reported overtime as voluntary
  • Change in income year over year: 58% received an increase, 32% received no increase, 10% decreased salary
  • 35% of nurses are still paying off student debt
  • 51% of nurses feel fairly compensated
  • 49% do not feel fairly compensated

For more information on how myShiftTime can improve nursing satisfaction at your organization, please request a demo…