Healthcare workers are burned out – so much so that more than a third of them say they plan to look for a new job this year, according to a new survey from CareerBuilder.
Thirty-four percent of healthcare workers – up from 24 percent in 2012 – say they will look for a new job in 2013 while 45 percent said they will look for a new job sometime in the next two years. Eighty-two percent said that even though they’re not actively looking for a new job, they’d be open to a new one if the right opportunity came along.
[See also: Survey finds eight in 10 healthcare businesses impacted by bad hires]
CareerBuilder, one of the largest online employment companies in the country, contracted with Harris Interactive to survey more than 500 healthcare workers and more than 240 healthcare employers in the U.S.
Workers reported high levels of stress and job dissatisfaction. Sixty percent said they are burned out, and of those who said they always feel or often feel burned out, 67 percent said they plan on looking for a new job this year.
Seventy-five percent said they do not earn their desired salary; 29 percent said they aren’t even close to earning their desired salary. Seventeen percent of workers said they hadn’t received a merit raise since before 2008 and 41 percent said they hadn’t received a cost of living raise since before 2008.
Workers also cited dissatisfaction with their work/life balancing, noting a too-heavy workload, a lack of flexibility in scheduling and a lack of upward mobility.
“Long hours and juggling multiple patient needs are taking their toll on morale and retention,” said Jason Lovelace in a press release about the survey. “The survey shows health care workers are seeking a more manageable work experience.”
For those healthcare workers who said they would be staying in their jobs, the number one reason for staying was feeling satisfied and rewarded for their work, followed by enjoying their coworkers, ideal location, compensation and benefits and flexible work scheduling.