A just released Monash University survey of nurses and midwives’ wellbeing[1] has found over 30 per cent said they were “likely or “very likely” to leave the profession within the next 12 months.
This sounds far more realistic than previous estimates that put the turnover rate in nursing at just 3 to 6 per cent a year.
It’s a worrying figure, especially when you consider the average age of respondents was 47, meaning many are already set to retire in the next decade.
On the frontline
The study, which surveyed 3,000 respondents, also found workloads for nurses had jumped significantly from previous surveys in 2011 and 2013.
Disturbingly, over 70 per cent felt they had more work than they could do well. This was blamed on staff shortages, excessive paperwork and the lack of a suitable skill mix.
Nurses also reported they had difficulty getting flexible working hours and having management handle cases of harassment and heavy workloads.
“Such negative perceptions were most prevalent in New South Wales and in the areas of mental health, critical care and emergency, maternity care and aged care,” the researchers wrote.
Feeling the strain
While the survey also found that management had worked to communicate better with staff since the previous studies, many nurses still felt they didn’t have a say in the day-to-day decision-making.
“Up to fifty four per cent of respondents were not confident of openly voicing their opinions and concerns due to fear of retribution,” they add.
Another 45 per cent also felt their organisation hadn’t invested enough in their further development.
No wonder the study concludes nurses are “overworked, overwhelmed and underappreciated.”
The backbone of our health system
But with the number of older Australians to grow four-fold by 2047, we need more – not fewer –nurses in our hospital and nursing homes.
The CEO of the Australian College of Nursing, Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN agrees: “Nurses need good support in their workplaces and we need targeted recruitment campaigns that focus on the benefits of working in aged care.”
Without intervention, it’s predicted there will be a shortage of 123,000 nurses by 2030.
Last week, the ACN presented a white paper[2] to the Federal Government, highlighting the need for nurses to play a role in shaping future health and aged care reforms.
You can read the white paper here.
[1] ‘What Nurses & Midwives Want: Findings from the National Survey on Workplace Climate and Well-being’: Australian Consortium for Research on Employment and Work, Monash Business School – September 2016
[2] ‘Nurses are Essential in Health and Aged Care Reform White Paper’: Australian College of Nursing – October 2016
