Tired and frustrated, some Philadelphia nurses look for life and work outside hospitals

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

I left hospital nursing in 1995 for camp nursing and home care when children school age. Still doing per diem home care supervising personal care staff and providing quality improvement activities.

Kudos to my colleagues at the bedside in hospitals, SNF and outpatient settings today.

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Tired and frustrated, some Philadelphia nurses look for life and work outside hospitals
 

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...even before the pandemic, low morale and burnout were common, according to a University of Pennsylvania researcher. The pandemic only made things worse, especially early on when some nurses had to use makeshift protective equipment and reuse masks. Nurses who kept their jobs also faced overwhelming numbers of patients, high death rates with no time to mourn, and the daily fear of contracting the virus.

Those conditions have created a tremendous staffing churn in health care as nurses look for jobs with better working conditions and better work-life balance, said Matthew D. McHugh, a professor of nursing at Penn who recently coauthored a study comparing nurses' attitudes before and during the pandemic.

"What we found is the tolerance and levels of loyalty to a specific employer have largely been erased,” McHugh said in an interview. He said nurses, like many others, are asking themselves: "What is the kind of work life that I want? Am I in a place that cares about my well being?”

That churn has forced hospitals to pay far more for nurses, both for permanent staff and for temporary nurses who fill in gaps during the months it takes to hire replacements.

Solid numbers are not available, but some registered nurses in the Philadelphia region are finding new opportunities outside of hospitals, and rediscovering their love for nursing. The Inquirer spoke with three of them...

Nursing Outlook - Published:December 07, 2022

A repeated cross-sectional study of nurses immediately before and during the Covid-19 pandemic: Implications for action

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Highlights

• Hospital nurse burnout was high before the Covid-19 pandemic as well as during it.

• Repeated cross-sectional study of registered nurses before and during pandemic.

• Better staffed hospitals before pandemic had better outcomes during it.

• Policies to prevent chronic hospital nurse understaffing are needed.

• Minimum hospital patient/nurse ratio policies recommended.