Workplace Issues and Lack of Joy Drive Nurse Burnout and Lead to High Nurse and Physician Turnover
Nearly half of nurses surveyed at Magnet-recognized hospitals reported experiencing burnout, attributing it to staffing, management, work environment, and safety struggles. Researchers reported the survey results (https://doi.org/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.1809) in JAMA Health Forum.
The researchers conducted a cross-sectional, multicenter survey study of 15,738 nurses and 5,312 physicians at 60 nationally distributed U.S. Magnet hospitals. They found that burnout affected 47% of the nurses and that nurse burnout was associated with higher nurse and physician turnover alike. Nurses also reported:
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Understaffed nursing units (54%)
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Lack of confidence in management (46%)
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Unfavorable patient safety (26%)
Fewer than 10% of all clinicians surveyed described their workplace as joyful.
The five highest nurse-ranked strategies to reduce burnout and improve well-being were:
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Improve nurse staffing levels (nearly 90%)
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Support uninterrupted breaks (more than 80%)
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Improve team communication (more than 60%)
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Enable nurses to spend more time in direct care (nearly 60%)
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Increase individual control of scheduling (more than 50%)
Use the tools in ONS’s Nurse Well-Being Learning Library (https://www.ons.org/learning-libraries/well-being-nurses) and the Oncology Nursing Foundation’s 40 Ways to Wellness Resiliency Resources collection (https://www.onfgivesback.org/about-us/resources/resiliency-resources) to help support your well-being strategies and mental health.