A survey by the Department of Management at Monash University says that the nursing workforce is facing a staff turnover crisis with 15 percent of nurses saying they will leave the profession within a year, and the figure jumped to 38 percent when they were unhappy with their conditions and benefits.
While pay did not figure as the top issue for nurses, feeling valued and listened to by employers contributed most significantly to job satisfaction, the survey revealed further.
The common theme throughout the survey was that nurses feel undervalued and that management did not consult them enough. They felt management were making decisions on specific areas with no knowledge or training in that area.
“It’s about changing the mind-set of employers to start recognising and rewarding their staff”, said Associate Professor Peter Holland.
Nurses also frequently cited unmanageable workloads due to a shortage of staff as the main cause for their high stress levels.
The results showed nurses felt they were unable to provide the highest quality of care due to high patient loads and inadequate staffing.
The online survey which was open for three months is the first survey of nurses’ attitudes to their work and their workplace.
A preliminary analysis, the survey represent the views of 640 nurses Australia-wide - the findings can be considered to be typical of the whole workforce, Professor Holland said.
The final report will be available from mid to late February – watch this space. In the meantime, why not click here to read the HealthX report on the shortage of healthcare workers in New South Wales?