Five years after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new Harris Poll survey shows the U.S. healthcare workforce is still running on empty. Burnout is widespread, and many workers are
seriously considering walking away from the profession altogether. That’s especially alarming given federal projections that the country will be short nearly 700,000 critical healthcare workers by 2037 — including doctors and nurses.
But there’s a glimmer of hope: opportunities for education and growth could convince some to stay.
Burnout Runs Deep
The survey found that 84% of healthcare workers feel taken for granted, and more than half (55%) are actively thinking about finding a new job in the next year. Only about one in three feels truly valued by their employer.
What’s even more troubling is that younger workers — Gen Z and Millennials — are the most likely to leave. Employers admit that early-career staff and nursing assistants are the hardest to retain. If this trend continues, the pipeline of future healthcare talent could dry up.
Education as a Retention Tool
Despite the negativity, there’s a clear path forward. Workers want to grow, and they want their employers to help them do it.
63% say tuition support would make them more likely to stay in their current job.
Gen Z workers, in particular, are motivated by education benefits — 61% cite them as a key reason to stay with an employer.
Nearly half of healthcare employers (48%) agree that lack of advancement opportunities drives turnover.
Yet only about 47% of employers are actually offering tuition assistance as part of their retention strategy.
AI Adds New Pressures
The rise of artificial intelligence in healthcare is adding another layer of stress. Nearly half of healthcare workers (43%) say AI is the most important skill they’ll need in the next five years, but 42% worry it could replace parts of their job. Employers overwhelmingly see AI skills training as a priority (92%), but many admit they don’t have the resources to provide it.
Because without those investments, the U.S. risks facing an even more severe healthcare staffing crisis in the years ahead.
