Staffing shortages have some nurses frustrated. A survey by the American Association of International Healthcare Recruitment found that 75% of foreign-educated registered nurses who are currently practicing would consider leaving medicine if the shortage is not fixed.

Only a third of foreign-educated nurses said the same thing in a similar study in 2021.

“While most industries have rebounded from the interruption and economic shock of the pandemic, nursing will bear the scars of the last three years for decades to come,” said Patty Jeffrey, president of the association. “Even before Covid, hospital bedsides were understaffed. Now, 75% of practicing registered nurses say they might leave medicine if the shortage isn’t finally corrected. That’s going to mean more closed beds for everyone from expecting mothers to dialysis patients.”

Most foreign-educated nurses, 93%, said their hospital is experiencing a shortage, up from 59% in a similar survey in 2020. Nearly half, 53% said burnout was causing the shortages.

Among other findings in the survey:

• 40% say their hospital has been forced to close beds because of an inability to staff them.
• 60% say the staffing shortage has worsened in the previous year.
• Just 28% said their hospital could provide adequate care to patients with current staffing levels.
• Sixty-one percent say workplace stress negatively affects their life outside of the hospital.

The survey included 500 foreign-educated nurses and took place between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31, 2022.