Quitting the profession

I heard on the radio yesterday a bit about how many brand new teachers become beat down and disillusioned by teaching, and leave the profession in less than five years.

I was wondering if anyone has read/heard any similar statistics about the drop out rate of newly-minted nurses. I suspect it's rather high.
I have read a few statistics that are similar for new grad nurses. Many leave the profession within the first five years.

As a proud COB, I wonder who will be around to take care of me when I need care? Surely not the glorified MA's that my doctors' offices are hiring instead of nurses?Surely not the off-the-street employees that my local hospital is bringing in and teaching a few tasks that used to be strictly nursing tasks, ie Foleys, lab draws, etc.?I'm scared.

Considering how quickly the nursing shortage turned into a nursing job shortage, I wonder how many nursing dropouts were new grads who never found a first job.

Quote from roser13As a proud COB, I wonder who will be around to take care of me when I need care? Surely not the glorified MA's that my doctors' offices are hiring instead of nurses?Surely not the off-the-street employees that my local hospital is bringing in and teaching a few tasks that used to be strictly nursing tasks, ie Foleys, lab draws, etc.?I'm scared.

Quote from Not_A_Hat_PersonConsidering how quickly the nursing shortage turned into a nursing job shortage, I wonder how many nursing dropouts were new grads who never found a first job.

It varies...many leave in the first 5 years. Many will leave as soon as jobs open up in other sectors. Nursing is a hard job and the pay in no way compensates for what you put into the job.

Thanks for your comments. I've pretty much decided to leave.

We were talking about this in my class. About 30% leave the profession in their first year. Yikes.

Quote from ThePrincessBrideWe were talking about this in my class. About 30% leave the profession in their first year. Yikes.

I wish I left sooner. Now I feel stuck in it for life and can't get out. I'm really not sure what else I would like to do and am so over it all nothing sounds appealing to me.

Honestly, until Medicare quits dictating how professionals should do their job, nurses are going to drop like flies. HCAHP scores are a joke. Hospitals can't keep their doors open and staff the floors the way they should to provide the care that's needed. Management cares so much about the bottom line that they're willing to throw their staff under the bus. It's all a huge cluster that isn't working and it will continue to NOT work until we aren't under medicare's thumb.

Had I known how bad the politics can be and the fact that there are few opportunities to actually move between specialties, I would have become a dietician. I thought there would be many opportunities for travel, which is just not so anymore. So now, I make the best with what I've got.