Figure 1
Age distribution of Registered Nurses (RNs) by year. The median age of RNs is 52 years and has remained consistent over the last decade. However, the overall age distribution of the nursing workforce has shifted significantly since 2013, with more than half of all RNs over the age of 50.13
Figure 2
Intention to leave nursing and plans of those who intend to leave their position. A 2021 national survey of nurse work environments found that two-thirds of nurse respondents planned to leave their current position within the next 3 years.33 Of the respondents with plans to leave, only 38% intended to find a new position as a clinical nurse.
Figure 3
Relationship between staffing, workload stress, job satisfaction, and turnover. Poor registered nurse (RN) staffing on clinical units leads to increased individual nursing workloads. Over time, this can reduce overall job satisfaction and increase an individual RN’s intention to leave their current position. Intent to leave is strongly correlated with future nurse turnover and, as attrition rates climb, unit staffing worsens and perpetuates the whole cycle.