Stressful work environments increase nurse turnover

Stressful work environments, burnout and inadequate staffing drove nurses to quit their primary jobs at nearly double the rate from 2018 to 2022, according to a study published in Medical Care. About 13% of RNs reported they left their primary nursing position in 2018 compared with 24% in 2022. RN full-time equivalents decreased in inpatient settings, long-term care and non-clinical settings, while they rose in outpatient settings. From 2018 to 2022, the nursing workforce grew from 3.27 million to 3.57 million. However, the study found changes in nurse employment were unaffected by whether states had high COVID-19 caseloads. The analysis included 99,507 RN respondents from the 2018 and 2022 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses. (Newswise news release, 6/11/26)