Despite being passionate about doing meaningful work and earning a good income, only one-third of nurses plan to remain in the profession for the foreseeable future, according to a survey by Cross Country Healthcare. In addition, about one-fourth of nurses plan to leave the profession in another one to two years.

The report found that more than half of nurses claim there is insufficient staff to meet demand, which they regard as the worst part of the profession, resulting in burnout and feeling overworked. At 71%, staffing shortage is the leading cause of poor mental health, followed by a lack of support resources at 55%.

“We had hoped that at this point past the pandemic, we would see improvement in the sentiment of our nurses, but that’s simply not the case,” said John Martins, president and CEO of Cross Country Healthcare. “The decision to choose nursing is more of a calling than a job. Nurses are tireless in their passion for quality patient care, no matter how challenging their working conditions may be. But the profession has reached a breaking point, and it is well past time that industry leaders come together to create reform to revitalize this essential profession.”

According to the survey, 46% of nurses reported experiencing anxiety symptoms, 35% reported having insomnia and 32% said they are experiencing depression. In addition, 83% of employed nurses do not use mental health or well-being counselling, despite employers offering such services.

The report also noted that nurses’ experience with the Covid-19 pandemic has added to feelings of discontent, and nearly two in five employed nurses said it dramatically increased their desire to leave the profession.

The survey was conducted online with nearly 1,500 nursing professionals and students at healthcare and hospital facilities in partnership with Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing between Feb. 22 and April 14.