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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
Medscape invited practicing licensed practical nurses (LPNs), licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), registered nurses (RNs), and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) — which included nurse practitioners (NPs), nurse midwives (NMs), clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) — from the United States to participate in an online survey earnings and career satisfaction. But this year, a global pandemic has had a huge impact on the nursing profession, so we also asked participants about their experience with COVID-19 and the challenges they faced in the clinical arena.
The following slides detail the opinions of the full sample of 10,424 nurses. But there's a caveat to our findings related to COVID-19. The survey took place over the summer, before the start of the huge spike in COVID cases that began overwhelming the healthcare system in the fall. Nurses in some parts of the country had yet to experience the hardships of dealing with a COVID-19 surge of this magnitude.
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
By the end of summer, most survey respondents had taken care of a patient with COVID-19. CRNAs were most likely to have treated these patients, whereas CNSs were least likely. Among certified NPs, adult-gerontology acute care NPs most often (80%) reported taking care of COVID-19 patients, followed by family NPs (63%), adult-gerontology primary care NPs (59%), pediatric primary care NPs (54%), women's health NPs (36%), and psychiatric mental health NPs (30%).
Work setting also influenced whether the respondent had encountered patients with COVID-19. Nurses and APRNs working in hospital inpatient care were much more likely (76%) to have treated a person with COVID-19 than nurses in other work settings (10%-56%), except nurses working in retail clinics (59%).
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
More than half of RNs, LPNs, NMs and NPs did not have adequate workplace personal protective equipment (PPE) at some time during the pandemic. Of interest is the potentially counterintuitive finding that nurses represented by a bargaining unit more often reported having insufficient PPE (63%) compared with nurses without such representation (53%).
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
Despite frequent news reports about the number of nurses who have been infected with, hospitalized with, or died of COVID-19, most nurses say that they have never tested positive for COVID-19. Among NMs, more than half who tested positive were asymptomatic.
We don't have an immediate explanation for the significant percentages of COVID-positive nurses who answered "other" (16%-24%) to the question about what happened after receiving their test results. It's possible that at least some of these nurses were asymptomatic but returned to work rather than quarantining. We didn't ask about this controversial practice because the issue didn't arise until later in the pandemic.
Among nurses providing care for patients with COVID-19, LPNs were more likely to test positive (10%) than all other nurses (2%-6%) except CNSs. Nurses working in long-term care facilities (11%) were much more likely to test positive for COVID-19 (11%) than nurses working in any hospital setting (4%).
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
Anecdotal reports suggest that many nurses — voluntarily or involuntarily — switched their work setting or role to accommodate the influx of severely ill patients with COVID-19. And though most nurses have remained in their prepandemic work settings, a few exceptions were noted. Nurses employed by the US government (61%) or who belonged to a nurses union (62%) were less likely to remain in the same work setting as before the pandemic compared with nongovernment (67%) or nonunion nurses (68%). Salaried nurses (28%) were required to switch to a different setting more often than hourly-paid nurses (21%).
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
Among APRNs, CRNAs were most likely to be furloughed, possibly coinciding with a temporary ban on elective surgical procedures and low demand for other procedures that require anesthesia or sedation. Older nurses (aged > 65 years) were more often furloughed (23%) than younger nurses (14%). Part-time nurses (22%) were more likely to be furloughed than those who worked full-time (13%). Also furloughed less often were government-employed nurses (10%) and union members (11%) compared with non–government-employed nurses (16%) or non–union members (16%).
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
With the exception of CRNAs, most nurses and APRNs expect no pandemic-related changes to their annual income. Among APRNs who do anticipate a COVID effect on earnings, CRNAs are much more likely than other APRNs to expect a lower income this year, whereas RNs and LPNs more often expect to earn a higher paycheck. Men (21%) more often than women (15%) anticipate an increase in earnings for 2020. Nurses paid an hourly rate (20%) were more likely than those who received a fixed salary (9%) to anticipate an increase in pay.
Overall, respondents were more likely to anticipate a reduced income from the pandemic than an increased income (potentially from working more hours during census peaks). However, the survey was completed before the major COVID-19 surge that began in the United States in the early autumn, so the real effect of the pandemic on nurses' annual incomes won't be known for some time.
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
Among all respondents, NMs and NPs were more likely than other nurses to use telehealth for patient care during the pandemic. Nurses working in non–hospital-based medical office/urgent care clinics (78%) use telemedicine more often than those in all other settings except retail clinics. Retail clinics, hospital-based outpatient settings, medical clinics, and public or community health settings most often reported using telemedicine.
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
In each of our previous annual surveys, we've asked how nurses and APRNs felt about their choice of profession. Upward of 90% of respondents have expressed career satisfaction, with little year-to-year change.
This year was different. We wanted to know whether COVID-19 had affected career satisfaction among nurses, either positively or negatively. We found that 21%-35% of all respondents blame COVID-19 for their lower satisfaction with being a nurse or APRN, and much smaller proportions said their career satisfaction had risen during the pandemic. Among nurses and APRNs who reported that their career satisfaction had taken a hit from COVID-19, those working in acute care hospital settings were more likely (40%) to express lower career satisfaction than those in other settings (except long-term care or hospice). And younger nurses (aged < 45 years) more often reported that COVID-19 had reduced their satisfaction with their career (41%) compared with older nurses (27%).
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
A key element of career dissatisfaction among nurses is burnout. Respondents were asked to contrast the degree of burnout they experienced before the pandemic with their level of burnout about 6 months into the pandemic. In every group, more nurses rated themselves as very or somewhat burned out compared with the prepandemic period, and fewer said they were slightly or not at all burned out. Although the definition of burnout may vary widely among nurses, it's clear that the pandemic has had an impact.
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
The greatest fear about working during the pandemic is taking the virus home and infecting a family member. Two thirds of nurses and APRNs ranked this as their top concern. With respect to other concerns, some differences between men and women were apparent. Men more often cited higher patient loads (26% vs 22%) and not having enough PPE (41% vs 36%) than did women. About 8% of all respondents reported no concerns about working during the pandemic.
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
Almost one third of RNs and LPNs agree that helping people and making a difference is the single most rewarding aspect of their jobs. LPNs more often cited relationships with patients as most rewarding compared with other nurses.
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
APRNs most often note that helping people is the single most rewarding aspect of their job, except for CRNAs, who most often cited choosing a good work-life balance.
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
We've heard this before. Nurses dislike the administration/workplace politics that are ubiquitous in healthcare settings and have often cited them as what they dislike most about their jobs. Few RNs report that their pay is least satisfying.
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
The least satisfying aspect of the job for APRNs varied quite a bit depending on type of advanced practice. NPs and CNMs were more likely than other APRNs to cite the lack of time to spend with patients and the amount of documentation required as least satisfying. CRNAs more often cited lack of respect from colleagues and having to take call. CNSs were more likely than other APRNs to dislike workplace politics.
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
Despite being faced with perhaps the most unimaginable and challenging year in healthcare, nurses and APRNs across the board state they are glad they chose to become nurses.
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
Apparently agreeing that they are happy with their career choice doesn't necessarily mean that nurses and APRNs would choose the same career if they had a chance to start again. In fact, the largest group of nurses — RNs — ranked lowest on choosing nursing again. Among those who said they would choose nursing again, roughly 70% would choose the same educational route and less than 45% said they would choose the same practice setting.
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
Regretting one's career choice doesn't necessarily translate into plans to make a career change, as suggested by the large proportions of nurses and APRNs who have no plans to change careers. Among APRNs, CRNAs were most likely to say they would stick with their current career path, and CNSs and RNs were less likely to do so. Overall, however, because our survey was taken before the pandemic worsened significantly, bringing hospitals and staff to the breaking point, we can't be certain that these findings accurately reflect the career plans of the nation's nurses. The pandemic could yet drive many nurses out of the profession.
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
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Medscape Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2020
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS; Daniela Bastida; Mary McBride; Emily Berry | December 24, 2020 | Contributor Information
Tell us what you think.
Have the events of 2020 and a global pandemic affected your outlook about nursing as a career? Do you agree with your colleagues about the most and least satisfying aspects of your profession?
Nursing earnings are more important than ever. Are yours keeping pace with those of your colleagues around the country?Medscape Features Slideshow, Oct 2020
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Comments on Medscape are moderated and should be professional in tone and on topic. You must declare any conflicts of interest related to your comments and responses. Please see our Commenting Guide for further information. We reserve the right to remove posts at our sole discretion.
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Contributor Information
Laura A. Stokowski, RN, MS
Editorial Director, Medscape
Daniela Bastida
Market Research Analyst
Mary McBride
Associate Director, Market Research, Medscape
Emily Berry
Editor, Medscape
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