Other studies by HealthStream ’ s Nurse Grid subsidiary corroborate the need for additional attention to staff . HealthStream conducted several studies of nurses in 2020 , with each obtaining more than 10,000 responses from nurses throughout the U . S . These surveys documented the growing burnout among staff during the pandemic . Where 25 % of nurses noted they were suffering from high levels of burnout in September 2020 , an alarming 61 % reported high burnout levels by December of that same year . Significantly higher mental health concerns were also noted in December . Stress levels were so high that more than 20 % of nurses reported they were leaving bedside care , or the profession entirely , within the next 12 months — an exodus the industry can ill-afford . ( For more information , go to
https :// nursegrid . com / nurse-pulse-survey-update /.)
A second priority after staff was a renewed focus on technology . Leaders acknowledge that there is a need to invest in technology to make patient care safer and more cost efficient . During the early days of the pandemic , many organizations rushed to implement a just-in-time telehealth program . Now , IT teams are turning back to these projects to build out stronger , more reliable capabilities . Finally , attention to cybersecurity may have dipped during the intense focus on COVID-19 , and organizations will be taking steps to bolster cyber safety .