A 40-year record high of 100,000 nurses left their jobs in 2021, according to a study published in Health Affairs Forefront in April 2022.
The study noted that the exiting nurses were primarily younger, rather than the expected age group of above 50.
“A sustained reduction in the number of younger age [nurses] would raise ominous implications for the future workforce,” the study stated.
A report by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing published in October 2022 blames the losses on general trends such as retirement, a lack of education and training for replacements, and the rapid growth of an aging population that requires health care services.
Several nurses who spoke to sources largely blame the exodus on the corporatization of health care and the vaccine mandates imposed on nurses.
The nursing shortage had long been a problem before COVID-19. When hospitals began operating like corporations instead of as a refuge for the sick, nurses became disillusioned with the occupation, nurse Irene Ricks told sources.
