5 Reasons Nurses Leave The Profession

Posted On August 19,2019

People switch careers all the time. In some cases, they may not have had a choice in the matter and have to leave their profession due to personal reasons. In other cases, they lost interest in their existing profession or found a better opportunity in another profession.

If you’re thinking about pursuing a specific career, then it’s worth looking into why people tend to leave the profession you’re interested in. This can help you figure out some of the potential drawbacks as well as better prepare you for what your career choice entails. Keeping that in mind, if you’re pursuing a career in nursing, then you’ll want to know why some people are leaving nursing — especially since the demand for nurses is only expected to increase over the next decade. The following are five reasons why some people leave nursing:

1. They’re RetiringLearn More about Athena's Nursing Program

In 2008, there were roughly 1.26 million registered nurses from the Baby Boomer generation. By that time, they began to retire in large numbers with an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 retiring every year. It’s estimated that by 2020, there will only be around 660,000 registered nurses from this generation left.

2. They Want to Focus on Their Personal Life

Many nurses are second-degree students or returning adult learners. They may decide to leave nursing well before retirement age because their families have become financially stable due to their spouse’s income and their income as a nurse is no longer needed. This allows them to focus on starting or raising their family.

3. The Workload Was Too Heavy

Being a nurse can be challenging. There is a growing demand for nurses because there simply aren’t enough of them to deal with the huge influx in patients. The number of patients is increasing every year because of the fact that the Baby Boomer generation is beginning to age (and older individuals tend to have more medical problems). Additionally, people are generally living longer, which means that they require medical care for longer. Unfortunately, this means that many nurses are required to do more with fewer resources. Many of the environments that nurses work in are fast-paced as well, such as hospitals. This means that not only are they responsible for a heavy workload, but they have to be quick on their feet to boot. Some people may leave the nursing profession simply because it’s too much work for them to handle.

4. They Experienced Injuries

Nursing is a physical job. Not only do you have to help patients who may be physically challenged with certain physical tasks, but you’re on your feet all day (or night) as well. Certain injuries can seriously hinder your ability to do your job comfortably or effectively. Some nurses may even quit because of work-related injuries. Attempting to lift or move heavier patients can result in such injuries — no surprise considering the fact that patients are 100 percent heavier than they were three decades ago.

5. The Emotional Strain Was Too Much

As a nurse, you’ll deal with patients on a personal level on a regular basis. You’ll get to know many of these patients and, unfortunately, many patients will pass away. While it’s fulfilling to help patients recover, it can be emotionally draining when patients do not recover. Dealing with the loss of a patient as well as having to interact with a grieving family can be a huge emotional strain that’s often too much for some people.

Start Your PN Process Now

These are some of the most common reasons why people leave the nursing profession; however, it’s worth noting that nursing can be an incredibly fulfilling and rewarding job. Not only is there a huge demand for nursing (which means you’ll have plenty of career opportunities as a nurse), but being able to help people can be personally fulfilling as well. For information about our nursing program, visit us at Athena Career Academy today.