More than half of nurses are subjected to verbal abuse by a patient in the workplace, according to the Nurse.com 2024 Nurse Salary and Work-Life Report providing insight into the current state of nurse salaries and career options.

The survey asked nursing professionals about their experience with workplace violence and how their jobs affected their mental health and wellness.

It found that 64% of nurses were verbally abused in the workplace, while 23% of nurse staff say they experienced physical assault or abuse by a patient or a patient’s 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,” Cara Lunsford, VP of community at Nurse.com and host of the NurseDot Podcast, said in a post. “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.”

Across all licensures and age groups, nurses reported how their profession affected their mental health and overall well-being. The majority, 73%, said their job usually has a positive effect, most commonly noting positive interactions with patients and families. Conversely, 17% of nurses reported that their job negatively affected them, with most respondents citing dissatisfaction with salary or wage increase policies.

Furthermore, nurses expressed a need for greater emphasis on physical and mental health in the workplace. Almost 20% of nurses said they decided not to seek mental health support because they feared it would negatively impact their career.

The survey also found the median reported salary for registered nurses rose to $80,000 in this year’s survey, an increase of $2,000 from the 2022 survey.

The median salary for licensed practical nurses and licenses vocational nurses was at the median $58,000, an increase of $10,000 from the 2022 survey.

This year’s report includes opinions and data from 3,600 nurses surveyed nationwide in September and October 2023. Respondents include registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses/ advanced registered nurse practitioners and licensed practical/vocational nurses.

-Sanestina Hunter