Medscape unveiled its "Nurse Career Satisfaction Report 2016," based on responses from 10,026 practicing nurses. The survey includes responses from licensed practical nurses, registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses, regarding compensation and career satisfaction.
Here are eight report highlights:
1. "Gratitude/relationships with patients" topped the list for LPNs (31 percent) as the most rewarding part of the job.
2. The most RNs (22 percent) chose "working at a job that I like" as the top rewarding aspect of their job, followed closely by "being very good at what I do" (20 percent of RNs).
3. APRNs chose the following as the most rewarding part of the job:
• Working at a job that I like — 28 percent of clinical nurse specialists
• Gratitude/relationships with patients — 32 percent of nurse practitioners
• Working at a job that I like — 36 percent of nurse midwives
• Working at a job that I like — 32 percent of certified registered nurse anesthetists
4. As for the least satisfying part of the job:
• RNs (19 percent): Amount of documentation required
• LPNs (23 percent): Amount of money I am paid
• CNS (17 percent): Amount of money I am paid
• NPs (34 percent): Amount of documentation required
• NMs (25 percent): Amount of documentation required
• CRNAs (31 percent): Lack of respect form physicians, mangers or peers
5. An overwhelmingly majority (95 percent) of nurses noted they are glad they became nurses.
6. If they pursued a nursing career again, many nurses would select a different practice setting. Nurses working in hospitals (28 percent) were most likely to stay in the same practice setting if they began their careers again, compared to skilled nursing facility nurses (11 percent), who reported they were least likely to stay in the same setting.
7. Among dissatisfied nurses, RNs and LPNs are more likely to address their career dissatisfaction than APRNs.
8. Medscape reported the higher a nurse's educational level, the less likely a nurse would pursue a career change in the next three years.