Nursing leaders are struggling to recruit and retain nurses at the bedside. A recent survey from the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) found that 69% of CNOs rank staff recruitment and retention as one of their top challenges.¹ Tried and true recruitment and retention strategies are useful but insufficient, vacancies persist, and the natural question is, “why?”  Why aren’t nurses interested in roles at the bedside?

According to one nurse leader in the AONL survey, “Our millennial and Gen [Z] nurses don't have the same work ethic as our [baby boomer] and Gen X nurses do. They want more job flexibility and work-life balance.”¹

The prevailing concern is that the nursing shortage is primarily due to a lack of work ethic or commitment among today’s younger generation of nurses, who simply aren’t willing to meet the 24/7 demands of bedside care.