Nurses supported by managers more likely to stay with employers
Retaining nurses could be as simple as supporting their efforts to upskill, according to the results of a new study by Perceptyx.
The nursing shortage doesn’t appear to be going away any time soon, but nurses who receive support and encouragement for career development from their managers are more than 10 times more likely to stay in their jobs, the study found.
“Nurses maintain high levels of engagement in their jobs when they have a chance to develop in their careers. They prioritize training, advancement and connection to the future when determining to remain at the organization for the foreseeable future,” Emily Killham, director of research and insights at Perceptyx, said in a press release. “In addition, a strong culture of mutual respect and overall communication leads to higher levels of nurse engagement.”
According to the people insights platform, 55% of nurses have considered leaving their jobs since the pandemic began. The good news is that attrition in the nursing field is declining since its pandemic spike.
“When asked specifically about the next 12 months, about three in 10 nurses want to leave their roles, with 12% hoping to leave the industry altogether,” the report noted.
Perceptyx called the lower attrition numbers “encouraging” but noted room for improvement and the fact that health systems are being challenged to do more with less.
“We’ve heard loud and clear (both in the research and through our healthcare partners) that nurses want more career development opportunities, and sometimes [they] will leave to find them elsewhere when they don’t see them at their current jobs,” said Ellen Lovell, senior consultant, healthcare, at the company.
