Career satisfaction has worsened among nurses since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the “2023 Survey of Registered Nurses” report released by AMN Healthcare Services Inc. The report found only 15% of hospital nurses said they would continue working in the same job in one year.

Among all nurses, only 40% said they would continue in the same job in one year, down five percentage-points from a similar survey in 2021. The remainder said they would seek a new staff nursing job; work as a travel nurse, part-time or per diem; take a job outside patient care; return to school; or leave nursing altogether.

The survey also found that career satisfaction for nurses dropped to 71% after holding steady at between 80% and 85% in similar surveys over the past decade.

Nurse satisfaction and quitting issues could be driven by rising mental health and well-being problems for nurses.

Mental health difficulties increased by double digits among nurses. The survey found that 35% of nurses never address mental health and wellbeing issues. Twenty percent of nurses address their mental health and wellbeing, compared to 24% in 2021. AMN reported that particularly concerning is that younger nurses’ responses were more negative than older nurses regarding satisfaction and mental health and well-being.

One cause of the post-pandemic rise in problems affecting nurses may be a shift in public attention, according to AM.

“During the pandemic, nurses were widely lauded as heroes in the media and public acclaim, which buoyed our spirits and pride during the worst national public health crisis in our lifetimes,” AMN Chief Clinical Officer Cole Edmonson said. “But as pandemic conditions waned, the accolades subsided and the focus on nurse well-being wavered.”

AMN said that reduction in stress and utilization of mental health and wellbeing services result in better career satisfaction and job retention. Also needed is a systemic transformation in how organizations view and deploy the healthcare workforce. Widespread adoption of technology and systems can also help ease the stress on nurses.

AMN Healthcare surveyed more than 18,000 nurses in January for the report.