Millennials, as a whole, tend to get a bad rap. The generation, born in the 1980s and 1990s, is often stereotyped as being selfish and entitled, more interested in popular culture and handouts than hard work and drive. However, a recent survey by AMN Healthcare of nurses who fall into that age bracket shows that is not the case.

The Survey of Millennial Nurses: A Dynamic Influence on the Profession collected responses from 3,347 RNs, and compared the views of Millennial nurses (those aged 19 to 36) to those of Generation X (aged 37 to 53) and Baby Boomers (aged 54 to 71) in regards to their expectations of their work environments and professional futures.

The survey results show that Millennial nurses are more eager than their Gen X and Baby Boomer counterparts to seek new employment, including taking on travel nursing opportunities, pursue a higher degree or become Advanced Practitioners, such as Nurse Practitioners or Physician Assistants, and strive to obtain nursing leadership roles.

When asked about how the improving economy might impact their career plans, about 17% of Millennial RNs said they would seek a new place of employment as a nurse, as opposed to 15% of Gen X RNs and only 10% of Baby Boomer RN, and 10% of millennial RNs said they would work as a travel nurse, which is nearly the combined amount (11%) of Gen X and Boomer RNs who would consider the same.

The results also show that Millennial RNs are keen to obtain higher degrees and become APRNs. 70% of Millennial RNs said they want to pursue a higher degree, such as a BSN or MSN, which is significantly higher than the 56% Gen Xers and 20% Baby Boomers who would pursue the same, and 49% of Millennial RNs indicated becoming an Advanced Practitioner is a career path they want to consider. Only 35% of Gen X RNs and 12% of Baby Boomer RNs said they had the same APRN career ambitions.

Millennials are also more eager to lead, with 36% of Millennial RNs saying the pursuit of a nursing leadership role is something they are interested in, as opposed to 27% of Gen Xers and 10% of Baby Boomers.

With results like these, and Millennials quickly becoming the most dominant generation in nursing, it seems like there are a lot of bright futures to be had.

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.