Nursing in 2022 is very different than it was when I became a nurse in 1989.

I never heard my colleagues expressing how they were ready to change professions due to not feeling valued. They were excited about our profession.

I became a nurse because of the nurses who I spoke to about what I should do after high school. This era of nurses encouraged pursuing a nursing career not because of the financial security it offered, but rather because of the many career paths and satisfaction received caring for others.

Wow, how that has changed now. You may not want believe this but today most nurses that I engage about our profession are discouraging others to become nurses. They are voicing that they don’t feel valued and are overworked due to the shortage. They are tired and are ready to leave or pursue other career avenues.

What has happened? First , many nurses are aging out which means there are more nurses who are near retirement age than new graduates entering the profession. Next Covid hit the profession hard. So many nurses have an outward appearance as life is back to somewhat of a new normal but if you look real close and allow yourselves a glimpse of their inner selves you will see the PTSD that they have. This may be one of the reasons why so many are leaving.

Hospitals , Clinics, and Skilled Nursing Facilities are trying to recover. They are trying to retain the staff they already have and attract new talent. Unfortunately the staff that is there already are working many shifts or not in their roles that they were hired for and are tired and feeling undervalued. Agency may be working along side them receiving more compensation and having less responsibility. This also has created negativity in the work place.

My thoughts: Acknowledge your staff and listen to what they are saying. It really is not a suprise when an employee leaves because if you have listened then you already know why you loss that talented experience nurse.

The question is how can organizations retain their experienced nurses. I invite fellow colleagues who may read this blog to share what is working in your place of employment to retain and attract staff.