A new survey from Medical Solutions, which connects nurses and allied health clinicians with hospitals and health care systems, finds that more nurses are considering a career change. The Voices of Care survey examines the needs of medical professionals within the nursing industry. 

Survey results show that more nurses are considering leaving the profession to pursue jobs that are offering better salaries and benefits. Meanwhile, a significant number of nurses are also leaving the profession due to mental health issues and stress. 

“Several of the reasons we saw [for nurses leaving the profession] correlate with support and mental well-being,” said Patti Artley, chief nursing officer at Medical Solutions. “What that should tell us is that we need to shift some of our current practices to focus on fostering workplaces where every team member feels genuinely happy and valued every day.”

More than 40 percent of respondents said job-related health issues were among the top three reasons for choosing to leave the profession. Meanwhile, more than 27 percent said the industry has unmanageable workloads, prompting nurses to consider quitting. Furthermore, 27 percent of respondents said they feel undervalued and unsupported by their employment organization.

Just over 7,000 registered nurses were surveyed including traveling nurses, staff nurses and PRN (as needed) nurses. The goal of the survey is to provide health care facilities with insights into the attitudes and behaviors of nurses under current working conditions. 

Salary remains one of the main priorities of nurses, with 97 percent of respondents saying this is why they selected a position as a traveling nurse. Additionally, 19 percent of permanent nurses and 14 percent of per diem nurses reported they would like to transition to a role as a traveling nurse.

“Through our survey, we aim to enhance the satisfaction and work-life balance of our clinicians while simultaneously empowering health care organizations we partner with to better serve their employees,” said Scott Armstrong, vice president of client growth at Medical Solutions. “By doing so, we contribute to our overarching goal of connecting care to help improve the health and well-being of communities across the United States.”