Reasons for nurses leaving the profession

Nurses are an important part of health systems worldwide, making up nearly 50% of the global health workforce. The world is currently facing a shortage of 5.9 million nurses and midwives, which is expected to increase to a global shortage of 9 million by 2030. The growing shortage of nurses is considered a critical global problem, which is exacerbated by the trend of nurses leaving the profession. Inadequate wages, described by nurses as a negative factor, reinforcing the intention to leave the profession. The desire to leave the profession arises among nurses not only around the world, but also in our republic. The reasons for leaving medical workers with secondary education from the profession working at the primary level, in particular in family medicine centers and at the secondary level, i.e. in a hospital, are considered. Among nurses in the hospital, the main reason for leaving the profession was often high workload, insufficient wages, high professional risks and an unsatisfactory psychological climate in the team. In the nurses of the Family Medicine Centers, the same reasons were also indicated as the main reasons, but with a significantly low frequency. To solve the problem of nurses leaving the profession, a targeted personnel policy is needed, including increasing motivation to work, in particular, raising wages, reducing professional risks, developing mentoring for young professionals, constantly improving working conditions, improving job descriptions, protecting the rights of nurses.