Crosscut Now
Sept. 20,2023 - WA nurses are exploring different careers
9/20/2023 | 1m 15sVideo has Closed Captions
Facing burnout, Washington nurses are exploring new career paths
From farming to coding, health care workers are leaving the bedside amid staffing shortages exacerbated by the pandemic.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Crosscut Now is a local public television program presented by Cascade PBS
Crosscut Now
Sept. 20,2023 - WA nurses are exploring different careers
9/20/2023 | 1m 15sVideo has Closed Captions
From farming to coding, health care workers are leaving the bedside amid staffing shortages exacerbated by the pandemic.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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A mass exodus of nurses leaving healthcare is leading to a national staffing shortage, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic while underlying root causes long proceed it.
Nurses who once loved the profession are now opting for different careers to forego the burnout and stress rigors in the healthcare industry.
In April, Governor Jay Inslee signed a Safe Staffing Bill into law.
The regulations establish new staffing ratio requirements and financial penalties for organizations that violate them.
Some nurses who talked with Crosscut feel that pay is not where it should be.
In Washington, the median salary for registered nurses is higher than that for police officers or firefighters according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But nurses face significant pay disparities within their own field.
Traveling nurses willing to work on short-term contracts can make thousands more per week than their peers who stay in long-term positions.
I'm Paris Jackson.
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Crosscut Now is a local public television program presented by Cascade PBS