Around 40% of nurses express intent to leave the profession within the next five years due to burnout, stress, and retirement, with recent US data showing over 138,000 left since 2022, while Australian studies indicate roughly one in four primary care nurses plan to exit in 2-5 years, highlighting ongoing workforce challenges despite slight recovery.
More than 138,000 nurses left the workforce since 2022 and they report stress, burnout and retirement as key reasons, the same reasons as those surveyed two years ago. 39.9% of RNs and 41.3% of LPN/VNs reported an intent to leave the workforce or retire within the next five years.
The global rate of (Ren et al., 2024) nursing attrition has been reported to range from 8 % to 36.6 %, with a rate of 19 % in Asia. In Iran, 49.6 % of nurses have expressed an intention to leave the profession (Maleki et al., 2023).
The annual turnover rate per ward was 15.1% overall, ranging from 12.6% in NSW to 16.7% in WA. The total cost of turnover was highest in the ACT ($68,621), followed by WA ($58,260) and NSW ($26,199).
Registered nurses are leaving the profession within the first two years of practice at rates as high as 33%. It has been suggested that nurses leave due to factors such as bullying by coworkers, inadequate educational preparation and/or orientation as a new hire, and more recently, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emergency department nurses tend to experience the highest rates of burnout. A study published in the Psychology, Health, and Medicine Journal noted that ED nurses feel that they have the least control in their job among nurses in different specialties, which may also influence their high burnout rates.
The average career length for nurses is now nine years, according to a 2023 report.
Which professions face the highest burnout rates? Healthcare, project management and technology roles currently report the highest burnout rates across Australia.
Studies reported that high nurses' turnover in hospitals was as a result of a number of reasons such as; inadequate resources, poor leadership style, lack of professionalism, long working hours, inadequate salary, unsystematic work and poor job descriptions.
In Australia, the nursing specialties in the highest demand are Aged Care, driven by an aging population, and Mental Health, due to increasing need for psychological support, with high demand also for Critical Care/ICU, Paediatrics, Perioperative, and Midwifery, particularly in rural areas. These roles address key healthcare challenges, including chronic disease management in the elderly, rising mental health concerns, and ongoing needs in acute hospital settings, notes Superior Care Group.
Findings. This secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data from more than 3.9 million US registered nurses found that among nurses who reported leaving their current employment (9.5% of sample), 31.5% reported leaving because of burnout in 2018.
Computer science has the highest dropout rate, at 10.7%, compared to other educational sectors.
In the same way, Medical-Surgical Nursing, Chemistry, Maternal & Child Health Nursing, or even Psychology could be the hardest nursing classes for certain prospective students. Also, these are the most failed class in nursing school.
Nurses lead for those with the most burnout risk, with an estimated 6.9% burnout likelihood. This role is followed closely by ER physicians at 6.6% and primary-care doctors at 6.2% odds. Child and family social workers come in at 6.0%, while teachers and EMTs round out the top five with odds between 5.4–5.6%.
The " nurse syndrome" is often invoked in the field of private relationships, to refer to women (mainly) who tend to invest in intimate relationships with people in pain whom they find themselves taking care of, at the risk of permanently establishing an imbalance in the couple, or even toxic relationships.
The 3 "Rs"-Relax, Reflect, and Regroup: Avoiding Burnout During Cardiology Fellowship.
Industries with high employee turnover: professional services deal with the most churn. The industry with the highest turnover rate, according to LinkedIn data, is professional services — a sector that includes companies like the Big Four accounting firms, as well as business and IT consulting organizations.
New data from Ballad Health paints a concerning picture of nurse retention in the early stages of their careers. Approximately 50% of nurse turnover occurs among those in their first two years of service, with this trend being especially pronounced for nurses who entered the workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nurses cite patient death as a leading cause of stress. Because nurses spend more time with patients and their families than other health care workers they often form an emotional connection with patients who die. Nurses grieve in many ways, harder for some patients than others.
The "42% rule" for burnout suggests dedicating roughly 42% of your day (about 10 hours) to rest and recovery activities like sleep, hobbies, exercise, and socializing to prevent mental and physical exhaustion, countering the "always on" culture that leads to burnout. It's a science-backed guideline emphasizing that sustainable success requires balancing intense work with sufficient downtime for your brain and body to recharge, not just a quick nap.
The roles with high job satisfaction
There is no statutory retirement age in Australia. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch) [ANMF (Vic Branch)] recognises nurses, midwives and personal care workers may choose to work beyond the age of 67 years.
Nursing is the nation's largest healthcare profession, with nearly 4.7 million registered nurses (RNs) nationwide. Of all licensed RNs, 89% are employed in nursing. The median age of RNs is 46 years.
The highest-paid nurses are Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), who administer anesthesia and earn significantly more than other nursing roles, often exceeding $200,000 annually. Other top earners include Nurse Practitioners (NPs), Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs), and specialized roles like Pain Management Nurses, often requiring advanced degrees (Master's or Doctorate) and certifications.