Barbara J. Brown, EdD, RN, FAAN, FNAP
Harris Interactive, on behalf of NurseWeek and the American Organization of Nurse Executives, conducted the NurseWeek/AONE Survey of Registered Nurses in order to learn more about the nursing shortage and the issues that surround it from the perspective of nurses themselves. RNs were surveyed on their perspective of the shortage and its impact, their experiences in their work environment, and their career plans.
This survey was conducted from Oct. 24, 2001, through March 13, 2002, among a nationally representative sample of 7,600 registered nurses, randomly selected from a list of all RNs licensed to practice in the United States. A total of 4,108 RNs completed the survey for a response rate of 55 percent. The research advisory team consisted of Mary A. Blegan, PhD, RN, FAAN; Peter Buerhaus, PhD, RN, FAAN; Karen Donelan, ScD; Karen Sechrist, PhD, RN, FAAN; and Karen Haase-Herrick, MN, RN, representing the AONE board. Delores Jones, MS, RN, served as project director, providing leadership and guidance for the project on behalf of NurseWeek and AONE, providing overall leadership and guidance. Carol Bradley, MN, regional vice president, and editor NurseWeek/California edition, and Pamela Thompson, MN, FAAN, AONE Executive Director, represented the sponsoring organizations, provided direction and oversight to the study.
The major findings are:
1.Virtually all registered nurses in the United States believe there is a nursing shortage, and the vast majority has witnessed its effects firsthand. Most RNs also report that staffing problems at the place where they work have gotten worse in the past year.
2.A large majority of RNs who work in hospitals believe that the nursing shortage—and staffing problems that are a direct consequence of the shortage—is having a negative impact on the quality of patient care. Compounding these problems is an increasingly sick patient population with which to contend.
3.Barring a reversal of current trends, the nursing shortage can be expected to worsen as RNs reduce their active participation in the nursing workforce through retirement and the pursuit of jobs outside the nursing profession
4.Despite these trends, most RNs are satisfied with being a nurse and would recommend nursing to others as a career choice. Younger nurses—and those with higher levels of education—are even more likely to recommend nursing as a profession. And, despite some evidence of strain in the working relationships between nurses and management, RNs overwhelmingly agree that patient care remains a priority at the organization where they work.
5.Along with these positive views toward nursing, opportunities clearly exist to attract and retain more RNs as working nurses. Many RNs who plan to leave their present jobs in the next few years say they would consider staying—and many others who have left nursing altogether say they would consider returning-if certain conditions were met. Among these conditions are better compensation, an improved work environment, better hours and more respect from management. Nurses with no immediate plans to leave echo many of these same sentiments.
6.Attracting and retaining nurses in the face of a shortage will surely be a challenge. Reducing stress in the work environment—a leading cause of nurses leaving the profession prior to retirement—will be particularly difficult because this stress is a result as well as a cause of the shortage. Still, even as the shortage continues, steps could be taken to reduce stress by giving RNs more say in workplace decisions, more opportunities for professional development, more recognition, and a physically safer and more accommodating workplace.
What is most exciting about this survey is that nurses really “like the profession of nursing.” Nurses younger than 35 are even more likely than older nurses to say that they would recommend nursing as a career to a high school or college student.
The study clearly reinforces the challenge faced in attracting and retaining nurses, as the original Magnet study reported. This should be a good drawing card for more practice settings to develop the environment and apply for Magnet status.
One disconcerting finding is the perception that there is not good support from nursing management. Are we in need of reintroducing more graduate programs for nurse leaders? What has happened to strong management development programs at the graduate level? Have we sold out nursing administration for advanced practice programs? Administration is a science and art, just as nursing is, and people can't use knowledge they don't have. Even in academia, leadership development is needed. Naturally, as Editor of Nursing Administration for over 28 years, my concern is always nursing administration, now and for the future.
If you want to order the 130 page final study with full color graphic detailing what nurses say about the nursing shortage: order by phone: (800) 859-2091, Ext. 5 or NurseWeek/CE, 1156-C, Aster Ave., Sunnyvale, CA. 94086. Cost $195.00 plus shipping $5.00 per copy.
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