Data by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing shows about half a million nurses plan on leaving the profession by 2027.
The data comes as Scholaroo ranks Arizona seventh in the country when it comes to states with the highest nursing shortage.
Burnout from the COVID-19 pandemic is partly to blame, but President of the Arizona Nurses Association Heidi Sanborn says there are a number of other reasons including pay, stress, and work-life balance.
"The feeling I get from all of the nurses I speak with, regardless of the setting, is that staffing continues to be a crisis,” Sanborn said. "I think there's this myth that you only work three days a week so it's somehow a lighter schedule. But the reality is it's incredibly physically and psychologically demanding.”
Sanborn says, recently, nurses have even experienced a rise in violence at the bedside.
"This ranges from the patients to the public and family members who are being aggressive and assertive towards nurses to the point where nurses don't feel safe leaving their shift and walking to their car at the end of the night.”
Scholaroo reports 46% of nurses plan to change careers because of the negative effects of the job.
In return, Sanborn says patients could feel the impact.
“Longer wait times and inability if you’re going to be admitted and get a bed in a hospital room because there’s not a nurse there to staff it (and) delays in care are significant concerns regarding the workforce shortage here in Arizona,” Sanborn said. “We’ve got to do more to keep nurses at the bedside to give them the support they need to be able to deliver care safely.”
Recently, five Arizona universities received grant funding to pay tuition for 900 nursing students. Students entered into the program are required to work in Arizona for four years after graduation.
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