Unprecedented stress brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many nurses to leave the profession early and retire from their current positions. This is on top of those who are already close to retirement age. Most nurses have decided to retire early due to physical and emotional demands.
For nurses with time to plan, the prospect of an early or timely retirement with a properly sized financial portfolio and social security benefits appeals to them when they reach the current full retirement age of about 67 years or even before at 62 years (without full social security benefits).
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.
The average age of ADN nursing students at community colleges is 26-40 years old. BSN programs have an average age of early-mid 20s.
There is no “appropriate age for nursing school.” We have had students from age 18 to 55 years old in our NCLEX Exam Prep Course and all of them go on to become great nurses.
The average registered nurse salary in Australia is $80,908 per year or $41.49 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $76,974 per year, while most experienced workers make up to $97,600 per year.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employee Benefits Survey, approximately 90% of nurses receive retirement benefits from their employees, compared to 71% of workers in other fields.
Over 50% of nurses quit within the first five years.
More specifically, over 17% quit within the first year, and a whopping 56% quit after the first two years. This issue has also been exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic, as 95% of nurses have reported feeling burnt out within the past three years.
Train new nurses
Some hospitals and other health care facilities hire retired nurses to oversee the training of new employees. Working as a trainer may offer flexible hours. Often, you can find part-time or on-call training positions when facilities hire new nurses.
Your body will age quickly. Standing and walking for 12-plus hours, holding your bladder, lifting patients who weigh more than 250 pounds: these are just a few of the physical feats you'll do each day. Many nurses develop back problems, so learn to use proper body mechanics early and buy a great heating pad.
Nursing students that become RNs can begin earning salaries that typically exceed the overall average U.S. salary. Overall, RNs earn an average annual salary of $82,750, while the average annual salary breakdown for RNs in different careers stages are: 0-5 years experience: $65,000. 6-10 years experience: $77,000.
Of those nurses, 31.5% reported burnout as a reason for leaving their position, making it the third most commonly cited factor. Other top reasons for leaving included a stressful work environment, lack of good management or leadership, inadequate staffing, and finding better pay/benefits elsewhere.
The nursing field is an ever changing, high-paying, and always in-demand career field with high rates of job satisfaction overall. In fact, Advisory Board found that the vast majority of nurses in all positions—NMs, CNSs, CRNAs, NPs, LPNs, and RNs—all reported 94–98% job satisfaction.
The average practice nurse salary in Australia is $84,000 per year or $43.08 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $76,006 per year, while most experienced workers make up to $124,548 per year.
New reports reveal nurses are underpaid, undervalued and face larger gender pay gap than other sectors.
In Australia Registered Nurses (RN) earn an average salary of $73,000 per year. This number can vary greatly depending on a nurse's experience, location, qualifications, and seniority.
The Monash Business School has launched a new study on the wellbeing of nurses and midwives. They found that almost a third of Australia's nurses are thinking of leaving the profession because they're overworked, undervalued and in danger of burning out.
From a professional perspective, the high rates of abuse sustained by the nursing profession have a lasting impact and many members of the Australian College of Nursing report symptoms of trauma, post-traumatic stress syndrome and vicarious trauma.
One of the happiest nursing jobs is a position as an office nurse. Nurses who work in a physician or other outpatient office provide direct care to patients for chronic or non-urgent conditions.
The most stressful nursing jobs include ICU nurse, ER nurse, and NICU nurse. In these roles, nurses work in an intense environment with high stakes. They manage emergency situations and care for critically ill patients. Other stressful nursing jobs include OR nursing, oncology nursing, and psychiatric nursing.