HEALTH CARE LEADERS FACE A DAUNTING SET OF CHALLENGES — rising costs, the transition to digital health, and shifting payment models, to name just a few. But according to a recent survey from the American College of Healthcare Executives, the No. 1 problem hospital CEOs face is staff shortages and burnout.¹ Ninety percent of the CEOs surveyed cited nursing shortages as a particularly acute pain point.
In 2021, the total number of registered nurses working in the U.S. dropped by the largest amount in 40 years, with younger nurses leading the exodus.² By 2025, the U.S. health care system could suffer a shortfall of up to 450,000 nurses, or 20% fewer than the nursing workforce required for patient care.³
High levels of job dissatisfaction and burnout are driving nurses from the profession. The COVID-19 pandemic placed tremendous pressure on all health care workers, but dissatisfaction and burnout among nurses have not improved since the pandemic ended. And by some measures, it might be getting worse: In 2021, nearly two-thirds of registered nurses would have encouraged others to become a nurse, but only half said they would recommend nursing as a profession two years later.⁴
One of the richest sources of insight on dissatisfaction among nurses is how they describe their job, in their own words, on employment sites like Indeed and Glassdoor. This information is voluminous but difficult to synthesize because most of it takes the form of unstructured free text. To understand the challenges nurses face, we analyzed how 150,000 of them had described their employers in Glassdoor reviews since the beginning of the pandemic. (See
This story is from the Winter 2024 edition of MIT Sloan Management Review.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Winter 2024 edition of MIT Sloan Management Review.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Trouble With Your Innovation Contests
Not all innovation contests should be winner-takes-all or judged by senior executives. New research shows how to structure contests to meet specific goals.
Scaling Automation: Two Proven Paths to Success
Lessons from two leading hospital systems show how to overcome the obstacles to automation.
How Tech Fails Late-Career Workers
Managers must make deliberate choices to support older workers' use of complex technologies.
Building Culture From the Middle Out
Midlevel leaders are critical to fostering an organizational culture that’s healthy and vibrant.
Why Manufacturers Need a Phased Approach to Digital Transformation
Those that succeed with this difficult work break it into three stages, each with its own guiding metrics.
Will Large Language Models Really Change How Work Is Done?
Even as organizations adopt increasingly powerful LLMs, they will find it difficult to shed their reliance on humans.
How to Make Better Friends at Work
Friendships in the workplace can enrich our lives and make us better leaders and workers if we make the effort to cultivate truly healthy relationships.
Health Care Platforms Need a Strategy Overhaul
To succeed, digital health platforms must shift their approach in three key areas.
Steer Clear of Corporate Venture Capital Pitfalls
Big companies and risk capital can be awkward partners. Here’s how to get corporate venturing right.
New Markets, New Opportunities: Identifying Where and How to Make Your Play
How do leaders determine whether to build a new business around a promising new technology?