How nurses felt about their careers in 2024

For the report, Medscape surveyed 7,723 nurses between March 20 and June 26. Responses came from several nursing positions, including RNs, LPNs, NPs, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), and nurse midwives (NMs).

Overall, 92% of respondents said they were happy with their career choice, with answer rates uniformly high across the different nursing professions. When asked if they would choose nursing again if given the opportunity for a do-over, 73% said they would choose the same career.

"Hopefully, this is an early sign that not only nurses but the healthcare industry in general are recovering from a very challenging and traumatic few years," said Angelo Venditti, CNO at AMN Healthcare. "I think it demonstrates the resilience of nurses and their commitment to their patients and the communities they serve."

"Overall, these are really high rates of satisfaction, given how many nurses have left the profession over the last few years," said Olga Yakusheva, a labor economist at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.

When asked about the biggest reward of their job, 32% of RNs and LPNs said helping people/making a difference in their lives. A similar percentage of APRNs (33%) said the same. 

"I have been here almost 24 years, and our own research is extremely consistent about what has been the top attractor to the field," said Robert Rosseter, spokesperson for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. "It's providing care to somebody at their most vulnerable. Nurses want to perform at a high level."

At the same time, respondents recognized parts of the job that they were dissatisfied with. RNs, LPNs, and APRNs all cited administration/workplace politics as the worst part of the job for them. 

Nurses continue to face challenges

According to the report, nurses continue to face high levels of violence at work, with 86% saying they had a recent experience with sexual abuse, harassment, or misconduct. Respondents cited patients as the most frequent perpetrators of verbal and physical abuse against nurses, while managers and administrators were most likely to be behind emotional abuse. 

"Nurse leaders must be prepared to respond to data like this very quickly," Vendetti said. "Technology provides the opportunity for greater work flexibility for nurses than ever before — not only regarding scheduling but with how, when, and where they work."

"However, what we see repeatedly is that the adoption of technology in workforce management is slow, putting healthcare facilities at great risk of losing these nurses, even though many don't really want to abandon their careers," he added.