Salaries for registered nurses increased by 2.6% last year, and workplace violence and mental health concerns also grew. That’s according to the 2024 Nurse Salary and Work-Life Report, released Tuesday by Nurse.com.
The website polled 3,662 nurses between Sept. 13 and Oct. 13, 2023. The majority of respondents (72%) were RNs followed by licensed practical nurses or licensed vocational nurses, at 24%, and a small percentage of advanced practice registered nurses or advanced registered nurse practitioners, at 4%.
The median age of the responding nurses was 47. Nurses working in long-term care represented 20% of the total participants.
The median RN salary was $80,000, an increase of $2,000 from Nurse’s 2022 survey. Median salary for LPNs and LVNs was $58,000, an increase of $10,000 compared with results of the 2022 biennial survey.
The gender gap still is a factor in nursing salaries, although the gap has narrowed since the previous survey, results showed. The median salary for a male RN is $6,000 higher than the median salary for a female RN, compared with a $14,000 gap two years ago.
Eighty-nine percent of the nurse respondents identified as female, 10% as male, 0.1% as nonbinary and 1% said they preferred not to answer.
Thirty-seven percent of the nurse respondents said they planned to pursue a an additional degree.
“Intent to pursue a certification was expressed by 42% of LPNs and LVNs, 51% of RNs, and 68% of APRNs and ARNPs,” according to the report. “Across license types, 40% of nurses who earned certification said it resulted in a salary increase.”
Workplace violence, mental health
For the first time, the Nurse survey asked nurses about workplace violence and how it affects their mental health.
“Healthcare professionals are expressing concern that workplace violence is exacerbating the nursing shortage,” according to the report.
Sixty-four percent of the respondents reported experiencing verbal abuse, and 23% said they experienced physical assault or abuse by a resident or patient or a family member.
“Workplace violence in any healthcare setting impacts both staff well-being and patient care quality. When nurses or other healthcare professionals face the risk of physical injuries, psychological trauma, and job dissatisfaction, high turnover rates and staffing shortages ensue,” said Cara Lunsford, RN, CPHON, vice president of community at Nurse.com and host of the NurseDot Podcast. “This violence generates a culture of fear and strains entire healthcare systems by diverting resources away from patient care to address security concerns and staff support.”
Nineteen percent of the respondents said they are reluctant to seek mental health support due to the stigma and fear that it would negatively affect their career.
