NEW SURVEY DATA: Thousands of Nurses are Still Stressed, Frustrated, and Overwhelmed Almost 2 Years into the Pandemic
MEDIA CONTACT:
Keziah Proctor
301-628-5197
Keziah.proctor@ana.org
SILVER SPRING, MD – Today, the American Nurses Foundation (the Foundation) released findings from a new mental health and wellness survey of more than 9,500 nurses as part of the Pulse on the Nation’s Nurses Survey Series. As the pandemic approaches the 2-year mark, nurses report they are still experiencing negative impacts of COVID-19 on their mental health and well-being, and the adverse side effects have increased significantly over the past year.
According to the survey, over 34% of nurses rated their emotional health as not, or not at all, emotionally healthy. Most nurses surveyed said they have felt stressed (75%), frustrated (69%), and overwhelmed (62%). Close to half (42%) of nurse respondents answered “yes”, when asked if they have had an extremely stressful, disturbing, or traumatic experience due to COVID-19. Among nurses who said they intend to leave their position in the next 6 months, close to half cited work negatively affecting their health and well-being (48%) as a top reason followed closely by insufficient staffing (41%).
“The COVID-19 pandemic is not over yet and its impact will persist for a long time. Its challenges have left the nursing profession in a particularly vulnerable state, exacerbating nurse staffing shortages, and negatively impacting nurses’ quality of life,” said American Nurses Foundation Executive Director, Kate Judge. “Nurses are playing a pivotal role in efforts to end this pandemic, so we must ensure nurses are physically and psychologically safe and healthy to function optimally in caring first for themselves, their families, patients, and communities. A robust nursing workforce is essential to our nation’s health and therefore, nurses’ well-being and mental health must be a top priority. The data collected from this survey overwhelmingly demonstrate the need to provide consistent and comprehensive support for our nation’s nurses.”
The full survey results and findings are available online.
*Data collected through a survey administered by the American Nurses Foundation. Between August 20 – September 2, 2021 - 9,572 nurses completed this survey. *
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About the Pulse on the Nation’s Nurses Survey Series
This survey was part of the American Nurses Foundation’s Pulse on the Nation’s Nurses Survey Series to gather nurses’ insights and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey series is made possible through individual and corporate donations made to the American Nurses Foundation Coronavirus Response Fund for Nurses, which launched in April 2020. All data gathered will be used to inform decisions about how to best support nurses during and after this public health crisis. Learn more and access survey insights on the pandemic’s impact on nurses’ mental health, financial impact and innovation here.
About the American Nurses Foundation
The American Nurses Foundation is the charitable and philanthropic arm of the American Nurses Association (ANA), with the mission to transform the nation’s health through the power of nursing. The Foundation supports research, education, and scholarships, which improve health, wellness, and patient care. For more information visit www.nursingworld.org/foundation.