Nursing Fun Facts
How do you define nursing?
Nursing can be described as a joint effort or independent approach to providing care for individuals from all walks of life, regardless of their age, community, or background. It encompasses activities that range from disease prevention and health promotion to care for the disabled, dying, and sick. Additionally, nurses play a critical role in promoting a safe environment and contributing to the development of health policy and advocacy, and education. In recognition of national nurses week below are nursing fun facts that might surprise you.
Worldwide
Nurses and midwives comprise half of the global health workforce worldwide. Out of the 43.5 million workers in the healthcare industry, 20.7 million are nurses and midwives. Despite this, only half of the member states of the World Health Organization report having three or fewer nurses and midwives employees per 1,000 individuals in the whole population.
Nursing Shortage
Research conducted by Bradley University found that 16.5% of all nurses employed in hospitals quit their jobs within the first year. In addition, the university also predicts that the demand for nurses will rise to 3.2 million by 2024. According to the university, the average turnover cost ranges from $45,000 to $63,000. As a result, hospitals are losing between $4 million and $6 million annually due to staff turnover.
Nurses Walk a Lot
During a 12-hour shift, nurses typically walk an average of four to five miles. This is in contrast to the average American who walks two to three miles during an 18-hour day.
Minority of Nurses
90.1% of nurses are female and 9.6% are male and the average age of nurses is 43. Also, a study done says 70% of males say there is a stereotype for men nurses. Given that the perception is that men nurses are only useful for physical tasks and that means they are not nurturing or caring enough to be effective in nursing roles.
Workplace Violence
Unfortunately, 41% of nurses have reported they were victims of workplace violence while on the job. with over 30% of nurses have reported that there has been an increase in attacks against them as of Q4 of 2021. A majority of nurses, 63%, reported that they felt like their organization did not respond adequately.
The Nursing Workforce is Large
There are about as many nurses in the U.S. as there are people in Los Angeles (about 3 million). In fact, nurses are one of the largest segments of the overall U.S. workforce. As of 2020, 14.9% of the registered nurses in the United States held a master’s degree, and 2.2% held a doctoral degree as their highest educational attainment.
