Recent changes in U.S. health care and economics may influence the demand for nurses and the work choices of newly licensed RNs (NLRNs). We sought to compare the work lives of two cohorts of NLRNs licensed six years apart. Response rates were 58% and 47%, respectively, for the 2004–05 cohort (N = 774) and the 2010–11 cohort (N = 1,613). The NLRNs in the later cohort were less likely to work in hospitals, special-care units, and direct care and more likely to work as managers, be enrolled in formal education programs, and view their work environments positively, resulting in more commitment to the organization. Also, those in the later cohort reported fewer local job opportunities, and a greater number held a second job.
Kovner, C., Brewer, C., Fatehi, F., & Katigbak C. (2014). American Journal of Nursing, 114(2), 26-34.
