Nearly 1 in 4 new nurses leave within a year. The reasons are deeper than pay.
Nearly 1 in 4 new nurses won't last. And money isn't the main reason. The American Hospital Association's 2026 Health Care Workforce Scan confirms what many healthcare workers already feel: the first year is a survival test. First-year RN turnover now sits at 22.3%, well above the national average of 16.4%. For all first-year hospital employees, the number climbs even higher to 29.9%. That means nearly one in three new hires across clinical and support roles don't make it past their first twe
