The data: US healthcare workers don’t feel appreciated, and many are considering leaving their current place of employment, according to a recent Harris Poll survey of 1,504 adult healthcare employees in roles that provide direct patient care.

• 84% of respondents feel that they are taken for granted.
• Less than one-third of workers feel very valued by their current employer or are very loyal to them.
• Over half (55%) admit that they’ll look for job openings, seek interviews, or switch to a new role in the next year.

Why it matters: Hospitals and health systems are under pressure to attract and retain talent, especially with projected US clinician shortages and an aging patient population.

• The US is slated to have a shortage of nearly 187,000 physicians by 2037, according to Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) projections. That number could be far greater when considering other critical roles in hospitals and health systems, such as nurses.
• The US population ages 65 and over recently grew at its fastest rate in 130 years, per Census data.

Our take: Some frontline healthcare workers will jump from one hospital or medical clinic to another, but others will leave the industry outright.

Provider organizations must proactively invest in employee development by:

• Offering education and career advancement opportunities. Half of survey respondents cited not having these growth opportunities as a reason they could plan their exit. Organizations should provide regular learning and development programs around leadership/management training and earning professional certifications, while making sure employees are up to speed on the latest medical technologies, AI literacy, and clinical research.
• Committing to workplace safety. Violence against healthcare workers is on the rise. Hospitals and health systems ought to establish zero-tolerance policies to combat hostility toward their clinical staff, implement stronger security controls, and ensure that departments and waiting rooms are sufficiently staffed during the busiest times.
• Giving clinicians a seat at the table. Morale will improve among healthcare workers who feel undervalued if employers involve them in key decision-making processes. For instance, two-thirds of doctors say their opinion isn’t even considered on tech decisions made by their organization, despite over half saying they’d like to be consulted, per a February 2025 AMA study. Employers could create AI-focused working groups where physicians weigh in on pain points in their workflows that digital tools could address, while giving doctors the ability to vet products.

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