Incredible Health has reached a monumental milestone in pursuing our mission to help healthcare workers live better lives, and we couldn’t have done it without you. With the release of our fifth annual State of US Nursing Report, we’re thrilled to announce that our platform now supports over one million nurses and partners with 1,500 hospitals across the United States. This remarkable growth speaks volumes about the strength of our community and the trust nurses and health systems place in us.
This year’s report is more than just numbers and statistics – it’s a testament to the resilience and dedication of nurses across the country. It sheds light on the challenges US nurses face, particularly the ongoing staffing shortages that continue to impact patient care, and also shines a light on bright spots in the profession.
We analyzed our proprietary data of over 1,000,000 nurses (300,000 more nurses than last year) and surveyed 3,300 nurses nationwide.
A positive outlook
Despite the challenges highlighted in the report, there are reasons to be hopeful. Mental health among nurses is improving (up 6% from 2023), thanks to efforts by health systems to combat burnout and foster a sense of community. It’s reassuring to see that the desire to remain in the nursing profession remains strong, with 79% of nurses expressing they will remain a nurse until retirement, pointing to their passion for helping others as the driving force behind this dedication. While this is a similar sentiment from last year’s report (81%), it is an overall improvement from 55% in 2022 when nurses were grappling with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Staffing shortages continue to be a sticking point for nurses
Despite the strides made, staffing shortages remain a significant challenge for nurses. While nurses are slightly less dissatisfied with current staffing levels (48% in 2024 vs. 55% in 2023), overall, they believe that patient care is negatively impacted due to staffing shortages. A staggering 88% of nurses point to these shortages negatively impacting patient care, with 63% feeling stretched thin by caring for too many patients at a time. Additionally, 53% report lacking adequate support from nursing peers or managers – a concerning trend that we’re committed to addressing.
Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Another area of focus in the report is the integration of AI in healthcare – a topic that sparks both excitement and concern among nurses. While 70% do not foresee AI impacting their roles in the next year, there’s a growing recognition of its potential to support technological education and streamline processes. Of the 11% of nurses who have used AI in their roles, they have used it for recommendations on patient care, during the patient intake process and care summary creation, or through Incredible Health in their job search.
A generational divide
In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, there’s an undeniable generational shift taking place within the nursing profession. On the topic of AI, many nurses expressed that one negative impact of AI adoption in the field is creating an imbalance between younger and older generations of nurses. 69% of nurses 55 years of age and older think that AI will have a negative impact on the industry compared to 44% of 18 to 24-year-olds. Additionally, 68% of nurses expressed a lack of hope for the next generation of nurses, specifically Gen Z.
Other significant findings include:
As we continue to expand our platform and support more nurses and health systems, Incredible Health remains committed to driving positive change in healthcare and ensuring nurses have the resources they need to thrive. The results of our State of US Nursing Report are proactively shared with over 1,500 hospitals, and engagement with health system leaders inspires action, just like our past reports.
Incredible Health is free to all nurses and helps them plan and manage their careers. One million US nurses use the platform to land roles across 1,500 US hospitals, access resources, and tools, including continuing education and an exclusive community, and receive one-on-one support from coaches regarding career decisions. Incredible Health champions nurses by putting them in the driver’s seat of their careers.
75% of the nation’s top-ranked hospitals trust Incredible Health’s award-winning marketplace technology to quickly hire and retain top, permanent nursing talent while saving at least $5M per year per facility in travel nurses, overtime, and HR costs. Incredible Health also provides analytics to benchmark speed, conversion rates, brand, and salaries of hospitals with their local and national competitors, helping hospitals set themselves apart in attracting and hiring the best talent. Hospitals using Incredible Health hire permanent nurses in fewer than 20 days.
If you’re a healthcare leader looking for a better way to hire permanent nurse talent, schedule a demo here.
If you’re a nurse looking to take control of your career and access Incredible Health’s suite of services for free, click here.
You can download the visual report that includes more data from the State of US Nursing Report here or visit our interactive report here.
Methodology
We analyzed hiring data from more than 1,000,000 Incredible Health nurse profiles as of February 2024. We also surveyed over 3,300 registered nurses in the United States in February 2024.
