A new survey conducted by AMN Healthcare found that 80% of nurses will see no improvement in 2024 compared to the previous year – 42% said that 2024 will be the same for nurses as 2023 and 38% said it will be worse than last year.  

This survey marks the continued challenges that healthcare workers face each day. Due to things like staffing shortages, inadequate pay, and long hours on the job, many nurses are contemplating a change in careers in 2024.  

Details of the survey 

To get a better understanding of the major concerns, the survey asked what is important to nurses about their workplaces in 2024. Here are some of the main takeaways: 

At 75%, the highest concern for surveyed nurses is compensation, followed by a better ration of nurses to patients at 68%, and better schedules at 58%.  

Some nurses even question their ability to impact patient care in the hospital setting. Only 37% of surveyed nurses felt that they had an “extremely positive” impact on their patients, while 74% said their impact has only been “moderately or somewhat positive,” and 9% said their impact has been “slightly or not at all positive.” 

While a 2023 survey showed that 60% of nurses still love being a nurse, 62% are concerned about the future of the profession. Nurses are still reporting high levels of burnout, mental health issues, and a lack of support from leadership.  

What does this mean for the future of nursing? How can incoming nursing students better prepare themselves for the challenges they will undoubtedly be facing? How can hospitals and IDNs provide a better environment for their nurses?