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Nearly Half of Nurses Plan to Change Jobs in the Next Two Years

Nurses Reveal What They're Looking for in New Employers

CHICAGO, July 18, 2005 - In the face of a growing nurse shortage, hospitals and healthcare organizations may need to prescribe new treatments for employee retention. Forty-nine percent of nurses say they plan to leave their current jobs in the next two years, according to the latest survey from CareerBuilder.com, the nation’s largest online job site with more than 20 million unique visitors and over 1 million jobs. Thirty-two percent expect to change jobs in a year and 18 percent plan to do so in as early as the next six months. The CareerBuilder.com survey, "Nurses and Job Satisfaction 2005" was conducted from June 24 to June 29, 2005.

The top reason why nurses say they are seeking out new employers is an unmanageable workload. Nearly three-fourths of nurses report their facilities are understaffed, contributing to high stress levels, compromised patient care, department overcrowding and closing of beds. Sixty-seven percent say their workloads have increased over the last six months and 59 percent say they are feeling burnout.

"The U.S. Department of Labor is projecting there will be a need for 1 million new and replacement nurses by 2012," said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder.com. "However, more than 30 states are already experiencing a shortage of nurses, especially in areas requiring highly specialized skill sets and the ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams. In order to attract qualified nurses and keep them, hospitals and healthcare organizations need to be cognizant of what nurses consider to be essential in cultivating a positive work experience."

When asked to identify the type of healthcare facility they would most want to work for, nearly one-in-four nurses selected doctors’ offices. Hospitals came in second as the most ideal employer followed by clinics and pharmaceutical sales companies.

The most important attributes nurses say potential employers need to advertise about themselves to get them to apply for an open position include:
  • Competitive salary and benefits
  • Flexible schedules
  • Stability and profitability
  • Demonstrated recognition of employees
  • Programs for a healthy work/life balance


    • *comScore Media Metrix, March 2005. The CareerBuilder Network is a custom aggregation of CareerBuilder.com traffic as well as job search traffic to career centers CareerBuilder powers for partner sites such as Tribune Company, Gannett, Knight Ridder and others.

    Survey Methodology
    The new CareerBuilder.com survey, "Nurses and Job Satisfaction 2005," was conducted from June 24 to June 29, 2005. Methodology used to collect survey responses totaling more than 130 nurses for this study involved selecting a random sample of comScore Networks panel members. These Web Panel members were approached via an e-mail invitation, which asked them to participate in a short online survey. The results of this survey are statistically accurate to within +/- 8.59 percentage points (19 times out of 20).

    About CareerBuilder.com
    CareerBuilder.com is the nation’s largest online job network with more than 20 million unique visitors and over 1 million jobs. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB), and Knight Ridder, Inc. (NYSE:KRI), the company offers a vast online and print network to help job seekers connect with employers. CareerBuilder.com powers the career centers for more than 550 partners that reach national, local, industry and niche audiences. These include more than 165 newspapers and leading portals such as America Online and MSN. More than 30,000 of the nation's top employers take advantage of CareerBuilder.com's easy job postings, 11 million-plus resumes, Diversity Channel and more. Millions of job seekers visit the site every month to search for opportunities by industry, location, company and job type, sign up for automatic email job alerts, and get advice on job hunting and career management. For more information about CareerBuilder.com products and services, visit http://www.careerbuilder.com.

    CareerBuilder Media Contact
    For all media inquiries and interview requests, contact:

    Jennifer Grasz
    (P) 773-527-1164
    (E) jennifer.grasz@careerbuilder.com