According to a report by Morning Consult, 18% of health care workers quit their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, while another 12% were laid off.
Among health care workers who have kept their jobs during the pandemic, 31% have considered leaving.
And 79% of health care professionals said the national worker shortage has affected them and their place of work.
U.S. hospitals were filled with COVID-19 patients for over two years, as the delta variant ravaged the country last winter. And now two and a half years into the pandemic, many health care providers are facing severe staffing shortages, and the related survey conducting by Morning Consult survey suggests more could be on the horizon.
In California, for example, thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses said they’re planning a strike because of planned “hefty cuts” to their pay and benefits. In Michigan, Henry Ford Health System is turning to recruiting firms to bring 500 nurses from the Philippines to its hospitals over the next few years.
79 percent of health care workers said the national shortage of medical professionals has impacted them and their place of work. When asked to describe in an open-ended survey how they’d been affected by the shortages, many said their workloads had increased, sometimes leading to rushed or subpar care for patients, while others said their colleagues had left because of COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
In the same poll, health care workers cited broad employment issues as some of the top reasons why they left their jobs or were laid off during the pandemic: 50 percent said they were seeking better pay or benefits, while the same share said they found a better opportunity elsewhere and 44 percent cited a desire for more career growth.
Many also said they quit or were laid off because of the pandemic or because they were burned out or overworked.
According to the Department of Labor, healthcare employment positions are projected to grow 13 percent from 2021 to 2031, which is much faster than the average for other occupations. This potential increase could lead to about two million new jobs over the decade.
Still, healthcare providers are facing many staffing issues that have affected the quality of care in many institutions.
This is where the benefits of temporary nurse staffing alternatives come in – more flexibility, less cost in many cases, and the ability to respond to future health crises.
And while some argue that there is ample talent available, in fact the U.S. Department of Labor states that there are about 1.9 million openings for healthcare professionals each year due to growth and replacement needs.
Add to that the aging population, which according to the U.S. Census Bureau will include around 73 million “Baby Boomers” by the end of this decade, putting pressure on an already stressed healthcare system as these Americans age. In addition to the volume of older patients, medical technology advances have helped people live longer, which increases the need for more healthcare professionals.
Healthcare professionals are in demand now more than ever, and this is not a trend that will reverse any time soon. Momentum Health Staffing is here to serve hospitals, clinics, urgent care facilities, home nursing organizations, skilled nursing facilities and more, with our growing pool of talented, caring, professional RNs, CNAs, and specialists. Our systematic approach and careful recruitment and placement experience is delivering tremendous value to our clients, while also providing flexibility and meaningful assignments to the professionals dedicated to bringing the highest quality of care to the communities we serve.