According to a study by the University of Michigan, nearly four in 10 nurses in the state plan to quit by 2024. About 39% of nurses in Michigan said in the study that they plan to leave their job in the next year.
The team of researchers surveyed nearly 10,000 Michigan nurses in early 2022.
A lead author of the study, Christopher Friese, said what’s really troubling is the number of new nurses planning on leaving.
About 59% of those surveyed under the age of 25 responded they plan to leave their job within the following year.
“We expect nurses to retire (and) to move on, but when our newest entrees to the field are saying to us they want to leave their employer and their position in the first year, I think that should send out alarm bells that things are not well,” said Friese.
The survey also asked nurses what was driving them away from the profession.
“Nurses uniformly told us the two things that want help on are increasing and improving staffing that’s been chronically short for ten years and that they are the victims of violent events in their workplaces,” Friese said.
Friese said those are two areas hospital leaders and legislators can work on to prevent people from leaving the field.
Without action, Friese said the future health and safety of Michigan residents would be at risk.
“If we don’t shore up nurse staffing or more nurses leave, the ability for our family members or our loved ones to get safe and effective care is really compromised,” Friese said.
