1 in 5 RNs intend to leave the workforce by 2027

On Thursday, NCSBN outlined findings from its research titled, "Examining the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Burnout & Stress Among U.S. Nurses" in a panel at the  National Press Club.

The data were collected as part of a biennial nursing workforce study conducted by NCSBN and the  National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers.

The findings uncovered the pandemic's impact on the nursing workforce, examined RN departures, and predicted the share of U.S. nurses who plan to leave the workforce.

The research also examined how increased burnout and stress as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted affected participants personally and professionally. .

According to the study, around 100,000 RNs left the workforce in the past two years due to stress, burnout, and retirements.

Meanwhile, 610,388 RNs reported an "intent to leave" the workforce by 2027 due to stress, burnout, and retirement, and an additional 188,962 RNs under the age of 40 years old reported similar intentions. In total, the report found that roughly one-fifth of RNs nationwide are expected to leave the healthcare workforce in the coming years.

During the pandemic, 62% of RNs said their workload increased. Many participants said they felt emotionally drained (50.8%), used up (56.4%), fatigued (49.7%), burned out (45.1%), or at the end of their rope (29.4%) "a few times a week" or "every day."

These challenges were most prevalent among newer nurses with 10 or fewer years of experience. In the past two years, this resulted in an overall decline of 3.3% in the nursing workforce.

Since the start of the pandemic, licensed practical and vocational nurses — who typically care for vulnerable populations in long-term care settings — have seen their workforce decline by 33,811.

The healthcare ecosystem 'is at an urgent crossroads'

Overall, the research suggested that increased workloads and unprecedented burnout during the pandemic played a key part in accelerating RN's departures from the workforce, especially among less-experienced nurses.

According to NCSBN, "disruptions in prelicensure nursing programs have also raised concerns about the supply and clinical preparedness of new nurse graduates."

"The data is clear: the future of nursing and of the U.S. health care ecosystem is at an urgent crossroads," said Maryann Alexander, NCSBN's chief officer of nursing regulation. "The pandemic has stressed nurses to leave the workforce and has expedited an intent to leave in the near future, which will become a greater crisis and threaten patient populations if solutions are not enacted immediately."

Moving forward, NCSBN is calling for significant action to create a safer and more resilient nursing workforce.

"There is an urgent opportunity today for health care systems, policymakers, regulators and academic leaders to coalesce and enact solutions that will spur positive systemic evolution to address these challenges and maximize patient protection in care into the future," Alexander said. (NCSBN news release, 4/13; Davis, Health Leaders, 4/14; Dean, Becker's Clinical Leadership & Infection Control, 4/13; AHA News, 4/13; Robertson, The Hill, 4/14)

Disturbing trends in the RN workforce

Overall RN turnover continues to reach historic highs. The increasing challenge of  RN intent to leave  will further disrupt workforce stabilization unless deliberate steps are taken to address RNs' reasons for considering departure.  Monica Westhead  sat down with  Carol Boston-Fleischhauer,  Advisory Board's Chief Nursing Officer, to examine the key drivers of the trend and what leaders should do to assess and address them. Read the full blog post here.