The #1 Reason Nurses Leave Their Jobs

Nurse turnover remains a problem for hospitals year after year. So, what is the main factor driving nurses away from their jobs?

What is the most common reason nurses leave their jobs? It’s their work environment, or so says the Press Ganey Nursing Special Report, Optimizing the Nursing Workforce: Key Drivers of Intent to Stay for Newly Licensed and Experienced Nurses.

The study, which explored responses from nearly a quarter of a million RNs, identified trends in nurse retention and turnover, as well as intent to stay in their jobs, based on age, tenure, and unit type. Nurses across all ages and experience levels who planned to leave their job within the next year most commonly cited dissatisfaction with their work environment as their reason for leaving. Poor work environment was followed by home or personal reasons as the second most popular reason for leaving, and then a change in nursing career.

If you’ve left your job recently, or are planning to leave, has your work environment played a role in your decision?

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.