According to a survey conducted by the Order of Nurses from October 2nd to 7th, nearly 40% of French nurses want to change careers.

“When will this stop?”

Facing the second wave of the coronavirus epidemic, the Order of Nurses carried out a survey of 60,000 caregivers from October 2nd to 7th. The result of this survey, published in the newspaper Le Parisien, highlighted the pressure within the hospital during the COVID-19 era. Indeed, 40% of nurses say they want to change jobs. “This is a significant figure which is why we are sounding the alarm. We are witnessing a growing sense of unease in just six months,” stresses the Order’s president, Patrick Chamboredon, in the daily newspaper.

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Before the coronavirus crisis, 33% of nurses were suffering from professional exhaustion. But currently, 57% of them are experiencing burnout. “Not seeing the end of the tunnel, when you are on the front line, is very hard. Everybody asks the same question: when will it stop,” resumed Mr Chamboredon.

Worsening working conditions for nurses

More than a third of salaried nurses said they were understaffed compared to normal. More than half of those surveyed (57%) felt they did not have enough time to care for patients.

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Furthermore, two-thirds say their working conditions have deteriorated since the beginning of the crisis, despite the wage increases negotiated. To push for massive hiring, several hospitals and health care unions have called for a national strike.