US Survey of Incidence of and Reasons for Nurse Anesthetists Leaving or Having Considered Leaving Their Jobs

The bottom line

Compensation ranked first — statistically ahead of every other reason, including burnout — when CRNAs explained why they left or considered leaving. Retention strategies that address culture and workload but ignore pay competitiveness will likely underperform for this workforce. Cross-sectional self-report is vulnerable to recall bias, and stated reasons for leaving may differ from actual triggers.

What the source found

National CRNA workforce retention survey; 'better pay/benefits' was the single most common reason cited for leaving or considering leaving (statistically more common than other reasons including burnout); burnout was still a distinct separately identified driver; pairwise comparisons confirmed compensation ranked first.

Limitations and applicability

Cross-sectional survey; recall and social-desirability bias possible; survey methodology details require journal access for full appraisal.

Population and setting

U.S. CRNAs (national survey)

Used in FairShare guides

• Pay Isn't the Whole Story: What CRNAs Say About Leaving a Job

About this evidence

Research question / practical issue

How does this source inform Retention and the Anesthesia Workforce for the population it studied?

Study design, evidence tier, and source class

Peer Reviewed Survey Study · primary source · evidence tier 2

Source type: Peer Reviewed Survey Study · primary · Evidence tier 2

Topics: Retention and the Anesthesia Workforce

Audience: CRNAs, Department Leaders