This new study is part of the RN Work Project, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a ten-year longitudinal study of newly licensed registered nurses that began in 2006. The results of this study were drawn from two surveys of new RNs in 15 states, one conducted in 2006 prior to the recession and the second conducted in 2009 during the recession.
The 2009 group reported significantly better health status (23 percent rated their health as excellent compared with 19 percent of the first group) and fewer needlestick injuries, sprains and strains. The 2009 group also reported working an average of 52 hours less during a year, reported better nurse-physician relationships and perceived the work environment as significantly better. While the RNs surveyed in 2009 reported a higher level of intent to stay in their current jobs, they were also more likely to be searching for a new job than the RNs surveyed in 2006. They also reported perceiving fewer job opportunities than the earlier cohort.
The researchers concluded that as the economy and job market improve, older nurses will retire and newer nurses will begin looking for new positions, which can increase job turnover.
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