Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1446606
45 NURSING SPOTLIGHT 1 in 5 nurses burned out: 5 findings from Medscape's nurse career satisfaction report By Erica Carbajal A Medscape report published Dec. 29 probed the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on nurse career sat- isfaction, as well as nurse burnout and workplace violence against nurses. The report is based on a poll of 10,788 nurses conducted over the summer of 2021. Responses came from a range of nursing positions, including licensed practical nurs- es, registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses, a group that included nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists and certified regis- tered nurse anesthetists. Five findings: 1. At least 25 percent of respondents in each position category said the pandemic decreased their satisfaction with being a nurse, with nurse midwives (41 percent) and registered nurses (40 percent) most likely to report this. 2. In each nursing position category, at least 20 percent of respondents reported currently being very burned out or burned out, the two highest levels of the response options. Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses reported the highest levels of burnout at 35 percent and 34 percent, respectively. 3. Overall, 31 percent of respondents said they had experienced emotional abuse in the last year. When asked about the source of emotional abuse, managers/ administrators were the most commonly cited. Of those who reported experiencing emotional abuse, about 62 percent of clinical nurse specialists said they experienced it from a manager/administrator, followed by 55 percent of licensed practical nurses. 4. Among registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, "helping people/making a difference" was the most commonly selected response when asked about the most rewarding aspect of their jobs. 5. On the other hand, licensed practical nurses and regis- tered nurses selected "administration/workplace politics" as the least satisfying aspect of their jobs. n UPMC launches in-house travel staffing agency to address nursing shortage By Kelly Gooch U PMC is creating an in-house travel staffing agency to address the nationwide nursing shortage and to attract and retain highly skilled nurses and surgical technologists, the Pittsburgh-based health system said Dec. 17. According to the Pittsburgh Business Times, UPMC will offer nurs- es and surgical technologists travel nurse opportunities and add employees to address shortages around the fully integrated, $23 billion global health system. "Building upon our strong global reputation as healthcare innovators and leaders, we believe that UPMC is the first health system in the country to launch our own staffing agency — initially for registered nurses and surgical technologists, with the potential to evolve to include additional job roles," the health system said in a statement shared with Becker's. Hospitals and health systems across the U.S. have seen nurses leave their full-time positions to take on temporary travel roles. And nurses who have le have cited higher-paying contracts as a significant factor. UPMC said it believes creating an in-house staffing agency offers a solution to assist in caring for its patients in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York. e health system said the new in-house staffing agency will support front-line workers with flexible means to provide additional staffing support while enabling UPMC nurses and individuals who want to join the health system to travel to hospitals within its system. "e program will enable us to keep our own nurses, recruit new nurses to UPMC and bring back nurses who have le our system," UPMC said in its statement. e in-house staffing agency seeks to employ about 800 registered nurses and surgical technicians around UPMC, according to the Pitts- burgh Business Times. Registered nurses and surgical techs who qualify will earn $85 an hour and $63 an hour, respectively, in addition to a $2,880 stipend at the beginning of each six-week assignment. n At least 25 percent of respondents in each position category said the pandemic decreased their satisfaction with being a nurse.