today announced the results of its annual survey of nursing professionals and students. The study found that although nurses are passionate about doing meaningful work and earning a good income, only one-third of nurses plan to remain in the profession for the foreseeable future, and about one-fourth plan to leave in just one to two years from now. 

<div class="text">
 One-Third of Nurses Plan to Leave the Profession in Next Two Years, 
 According to 3rd Annual Survey from Cross Country Healthcare 
 and Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
 

 Cross Country Healthcare Launches New Check Your Vitals Initiative in 
 Response to Growing Mental Health Concerns and Offers Nurses Needed Support 
 
 BOCA RATON, Fla.-- May 11, 2023 — Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCRN), 
 a market-leading, tech-enabled workforce solutions platform and advisory firm, today 
 announced the results of its annual survey of nursing professionals and students. 
 The study found that although nurses are passionate about doing meaningful work and 
 earning a good income, only one-third of nurses plan to remain in the profession for 
 the foreseeable future, and about one-fourth plan to leave in just one to two years 
 from now. The survey, conducted in collaboration with Florida Atlantic University’s 
 Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, found that more than half of nurses claim there 
 is insufficient staff to meet demand, which they regard as 
 the worst part of the profession, resulting in burnout and feeling overworked.
 
 May is Nurse Appreciation Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, and to 
 help address some of the mental health struggles facing our nurses today, Cross 
 Country Healthcare is launching the 
 <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/wellness-resources-nurses-month" target="_blank">Check Your Vitals</a> 
 initiative, asking nurses 
 to check their vitals, or overall health and well-being, while offering tips and 
 strategies for nurses on maintaining both mental and physical wellness. As part of 
 the campaign, nurses are encouraged to wear green to show support for mental health 
 awareness and post 
 their green on social media using the hashtag #checkyourvitals. 
 
 “We had hoped that at this point past the pandemic, we would see improvement 
 in the sentiment of our nurses, but that’s simply not the case,” said John A. 
 Martins, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cross Country Healthcare. 
 “The decision to choose nursing is more of a calling than a job. Nurses are 
 tireless in their passion for quality patient care, no matter how challenging 
 their working conditions may be. But the profession has reached a breaking point, 
 and it is well past time that industry leaders 
 come together to create reform to revitalize this essential profession.”
 
 According to the survey, nurses reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety (46%), 
 insomnia (35%), and depression (32%). Most employed nurses (83%) do not utilize 
 mental health or well-being counseling, despite employers offering such services. 
 The leading cause for poor mental health was staffing shortages (71%), followed by 
 a lack of support resources (55%). The nurses’ experience with the COVID-19 pandemic
 has added to feelings of discontent, and nearly two in five employed nurses said it
 dramatically increased their desire to leave the profession. The findings come as 
 the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration predicts a national projected 
 shortage of 63,720 
 RN FTEs in 2030 and a projected shortage of 141,580 LPN FTEs in 2035.

 With regard to mental health in nursing students, 61% said their school 
 offers mental health and well-being resources, including student assistance 
 programs, gyms and fitness resources, counseling, food and nutrition services, 
 and a mental health and well-being hotline. Forty-seven percent of students use 
 the mental health offerings from their school, and 53% find them useful. When asked 
 if they were satisfied with their decision to become a nurse, 93% of student nurses 
 said they are.

 “Despite the many challenges and stressors that have contributed to burnout 
 and nurses being on the brink of a breaking point in their professional careers, 
 nurses and nursing students remain overwhelming satisfied with their career choice,” 
 said Safiya George, Ph.D., Holli Rockwell Trubinsky Eminent Dean and Professor, 
 Florida Atlantic University, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. “Nurses have 
 endured and thrived over the years. The profession as a whole will need a lot 
 more investment of human capital as well as fiscal and other supportive resources 
 moving forward. This national survey has helped to identify innovative ways to improve 
 quality of work and life for current and the next generation of nurses.” 

 The Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing offers accredited programs at 
 all levels to prepare and train students, including Bachelor of Science in 
 Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Doctor of Nursing Practice 
 (DNP) and Ph.D. programs. A BSN-DNP program with a Psychiatric Mental Health 
 Nurse Practitioner concentration and post-graduate dermatology and telehealth 
 certificate courses, and other concentrations that combine innovation and technology 
 are also offered to address healthcare provider shortages. 
 
 “Nurses are struggling and have been for years now. They are overworked and 
 understaffed, and addressing their well-being challenges must be a critical 
 priority for healthcare leaders,” said Hank Drummond, Ph.D., MDiv, BA, RN, 
 Senior Vice President, and Chief Clinical Officer. “The patient experience is 
 only as good as the caregiver experience, so we need to ensure our 
 caregivers are well and cared for, both physically and emotionally.”
 
 Other survey findings include: 
 <ul>
 <li> Nearly one in five employed nurses don’t know if they would follow the same career 
 path if they could talk to their former selves. </li>
 <li> Most nurses overwhelmingly believe that increased pay rates/incentives 
 are necessary to attract and retain staff and increase flexible scheduling.</li>
 <li> While many healthcare organizations offer opportunities for growth and development, one 
in three nurses are unaware if their employer has such opportunities, and one in five said their employer does not.</li>
<li>	The most common well-being programs offered include Employee Assistance Programs,
 hotlines, employer-paid healthcare, flexibility and time off. </li>
<li> Employed and unemployed nurses greatly believe in the value of national licensure.</li>
 </ul>


To help address some of the challenges facing the nursing profession today, Cross Country Healthcare recommends 
 five ways to revitalize the profession, including: 
 <ul>
 <li>	Create new opportunities for education. 
 <ul>
 <li>	Identify new pathways at the high school, undergraduate and postgraduate 
 levels to expedite the supply of nurses. </li>

 <li> Recruit more nursing faculty to educate and train the next generation of 
 nurses.
 </li>
 </ul>
 </li>

 <li>	Offer flexibility and awareness of growth opportunities.
 <ul>
 <li>	Open every door to expedite the transition from the university to 
 the hospital floor and offer more fluid career paths that match individual 
 skills and ambitions to evolve and grow with the person. </li>
 </ul>
 </li> 
 <li>Invest in retention strategies and well-being initiatives that matter.
 <ul>
 <li> Focus on enriching current and future nurses’ working conditions 
 and well-being to ensure long-term satisfaction and subsequent retention.</li>
 </ul>
 </li>
 <li>	Technological innovation will drive the future.
 <ul>
 <li> Use technology to understand better equitable workforce distribution, 
 workflow management, employee satisfaction and well-being, and patient safety.</li>
 </ul>
 </li>
 <li> Explore innovative staffing models.
 <ul>
 <li> Explore innovative and flexible staffing models, including travel and 
 per-diem nurses, to provide agility and continuity of quality patient care. </li>
 </ul>
 </li> 

 </ul>

 The complete study results in the research report are available for download here.
 <h2>About the Study</h2>
 This national survey, titled, "The Future of Nursing: At the Breaking Point,” 
 was conducted with nearly 1,500 nursing professionals and students at healthcare and 
 hospital facilities. The online survey was conducted between February 22 and April 14, 
 2023, in partnership 
 with Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing.
 

 <h2>About the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing</h2>
 FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing is nationally and internationally known 
 for its excellence and philosophy of caring science. The College was ranked No. 
 11 nationwide by US News and World Report in 2021 for “Best Online Master’s in 
 Nursing Administration Programs” and No. 32 for the “Best Online Master’s in Nursing 
 Programs.” In 2020, FAU graduates earned a 95.9% pass rate on the National Council 
 Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN®) and a 100% AGNP Certification 
 Pass Rate. The baccalaureate, master’s and DNP programs at Florida Atlantic 
 University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing are accredited by the 
 Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The College is the only one in 
 the U.S. to have all 
 degree programs endorsed by the American Holistic Nursing Credentialing Corporation.
 

 <h2>About Cross Country Healthcare</h2>
 Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. is a leading tech-enabled workforce solutions 
 and advisory firm with 36 years of industry experience and insight. We solve 
 complex labor-related challenges for customers while providing high-quality outcomes 
 and exceptional patient care. As a multi-year Best of Staffing® award winner, 
 we are committed to an exceptionally high level of service to our clients, our 
 homecare, education, and clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals. Our 
 locum tenens line of business, Cross Country Locums, has been certified by the 
 National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the leader in healthcare 
 accreditation, since 2001. We are the first publicly traded staffing firm 
 to obtain The Joint Commission Certification, which we still hold with a 
 Letter of Distinction. Cross Country Healthcare is 
 rated as the top staffing and recruiting employer for women by InHerSights, 
 and Certified™ by Great Place to Work®.
 

 For three consecutive years, Cross Country has received the Top Workplaces 
 USA award from Energage and has also been recognized with the Top Workplaces 
 Award for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Practices and the Top Workplaces Awards 
 for Innovation and Leadership. Cross Country has recently been awarded the Women 
 Executive Leadership Elevate Award, recognizing gender diversity in our Boardroom. 
 We have a history of investing in diversity, equality, and inclusion as a key 
 component of the organization’s overall corporate social responsibility program, 
 closely aligned with its core values 
 to create a better future for its people, communities, and its stockholders.
 

 Contacts 
Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. 
Karen Varga-Sinka, 813-944-7124 
Senior Director, Corporate Communications 
<a href="mailto:kvargasinka@crosscountry.com">kvargasinka@crosscountry.com</a> 
 

 
Florida Atlantic University 
Gisele Galoustian, 561-985-4615 
Senior Media Relations Director, Research and Health 
<a href="mailto:ggaloust@fau.edu">ggaloust@fau.edu </a>
 

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Majority of Nurses Attribute Well-Being Struggles to Staffing Shortages