Nearly 30% of registered nurses say they plan to leave direct patient care, survey finds

(CNN) - Nurses all over the country are burned out.

Nearly 30% of registered nurses say they will probably leave the business of patient care, according to a new survey by management consulting firm McKinsey & Company.

The survey also said if nothing changes, the U.S. could be short up to 450,000 nurses nationwide by 2025.

There are several reasons why nurses want to quit. For one – the pandemic. Nurses have been stretched to their limits, overwhelmed and overworked. Many have already left the field, so the nation is facing a nurse shortage to begin with.

In addition, there aren’t enough people becoming nurses to replace the ones leaving.

Furthermore, it’s expected more patients will need care over the next few years – both COVID-19 patients and people who delayed care because of the pandemic.

The survey found that it would take a lighter workload, more pay, more time off, and a feeling of being valued for nurses to come back.

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