Why Nurses are leaving bedside Nursing

Do you look like this at work? What happened?  After all, we all got into Nursing because we wanted to help people, it's who we are, it's what we do, so how did we end up feeling like we can't do this anymore.  How bad is it?  According to statistics, 17% of newly licensed RN's, leave their first nursing job within the first year.  33% leave within 2 years and 60% leave within 8 years.  Keep in mind, this is leaving the profession, not just their job!  These statistics are only showing RN's as well, not LPN's.  Let's take a look at what is causing nurses to quit nursing and start new careers.

So what's happening?  Just to name a few of the reasons; because we all know that the list is probably endless of the reasons why nurses are leaving the profession.

1. Under staffing is probably the biggest reason why nurses are burnt out.  How many times have you gone to work and have to work short, you do the job of 2 or 3 people for the same pay.  It makes us angry, upset and frustrated right?
2. Low pay, this goes without saying. Nurses do not get paid enough for what we do!! Period!
3. Higher acuity patients.  Patients are being booted out of the hospital much faster to lower insurance costs and therefore go to Rehab or SNF's that require much more oversight.
4. Abuse from patients.  Well, I don't know about you, but I have been kicked, slapped, punched, spit on, thrown up on, feces all over the room, you name it and guess what, we take it with a smile on our face because we genuinely care. 
5. Lack of respect from Supervisors and Managers. Go ahead, raise your hand here! We have all had that Manager that won't lift a finger to help out or answer a call bell when staffing is so short. 
6. No work / life balance. With nursing being a 24/7 need, it seems to always require giving up your weekends or at least every other.  You have to commute to work sometimes an hour which makes your day even longer plus, most times you are staying late to finish an admission or documentation.
7. High patient to nurse ratio.  I used to have to pass meds and treatments to 60 patients with some form of Dementia.  Think about that.  Add in incident reports and doctor rounds / calls. 
8. LPN's under utilized and made to feel we are not "real nurses" when in most incidents, we have performed the same job as our RN co-workers. When I got my LPN license in 1993, LPN's worked in hospitals everywhere, slowly they removed us even though we are nurses and did a great job.  Why, because they wanted Magnet status right?  Sorry but I think this is a cop-out.  I think it's a money game.  Forcing LPN's to go back to nursing school and really starting from the bottom to get your RN.  Now they are forcing RN's to have a BSN.  I'm sure there are kick backs to these hospitals from the college's and universities they are affiliated with.  

Now let's talk about what options you have instead of leaving the profession.  Telehealth and remote nursing is growing.  Lower costs, more attention and better care are just a few of the reasons it is gaining so much traction.  Nurses can better focus on patient care and satisfaction which in return provides better outcomes for our patients. Medicare Chronic Care Management is a reimbursement to Physicians for calling patients monthly to close the gaps in care, provide coaching and education, medication reconciliation to name a few. This is providing NON-face to face care which means, you can do this working remotely from home.  If you have not taking some time to look into Marie Pepper's course, please take a minute to click the link below to learn more about how you can have a better work quality of life and stay in the nursing profession.  

Marie Pepper's Chronic Care Management Training Course