State of Nursing 2026
After years of disruption, the nursing workforce is entering a new phase. Engagement and resilience are trending upward. Still, progress is uneven and remains fragile.
Based on feedback from more than 422,000 registered nurses and 41,000 advanced practice providers, Press Ganey’s “State of Nursing 2026” report provides insight into where the workforce stands today—and what it will take to convert early recovery into sustainable momentum.
Insights from “State of Nursing 2026” include:
- Turnover remains high—and highly concentrated: While RN turnover holds at 17%, rates climb to 23% among “nursing – other” roles. Early-career nurses face the greatest risk, with 22% of Gen Z and 21% of millennial RNs turning over—highlighting critical gaps in onboarding, connection, and support.
- Risk signals appear earlier than most organizations act: Disengagement, reduced feedback, and declining trust often emerge months before resignation—making turnover a predictable outcome of on-the-ground conditions, not a sudden event.
- Experience varies significantly by role and context: APPs, early-career nurses, and night-shift teams report fundamentally different challenges—from administrative burden and limited governance participation to insufficient recovery time.
- Resilience is improving—but nurses are still under significant strain: Year-over-year gains in resilience are encouraging (+0.07 for RNs and +0.08 for APPs), yet 25% of RNs still report difficulty disconnecting from work.
Get the full report to explore how leading organizations foster engagement and build resilient nursing workforces—even under pressure.