Rising Job Insecurity and Deteriorating Care Standards Propel Nursing Exodus

Published on 26/05/2026 – 6:00 GMT+2

The decision of Spanish nurses to exit the profession is driven by a combination of structural challenges that compromise daily nursing practice, particularly pervasive job insecurity and substandard care quality.

This finding emerges from the most comprehensive study conducted to date in Spain, led by the Ministry of Health and the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), which analyzed over 20,000 responses and was published in the Journal of Nursing Management.

According to the report, 39.6% of surveyed nurses plan to leave within the next decade, while 17% anticipate doing so within two years. Contributing factors include insecure employment, untenable workloads, and unfavorable assessments of care quality and patient safety.

The study indicates that temporary contracts raise the propensity to leave by 33%, and perceptions of inadequate patient safety increase the risk by 81%. Moreover, 56.5% of those intending to quit cite instability as the primary motivator, followed by insufficient recognition and inadequate working conditions.

The analysis further uncovers pronounced regional disparities: Madrid, the Canary Islands, Galicia, and the Balearic Islands exhibit more than double the intention to leave compared with Navarra, a difference attributed to variations in working conditions and health‑system organization.

A further key factor is the misalignment between training and practice: only 34.5% of specialist nurses work in their designated specialties, leading to professional dissatisfaction, while insufficient time for patient care causes 60% of respondents to admit omitting necessary care.

A trend spreading across Europe

This trend extends beyond Spain; numerous European nations confront a mounting shortage of nursing personnel, driven by ageing populations, increasing service pressures, and challenges in retaining talent.

International bodies have warned that the EU may require hundreds of thousands of additional nurses in the coming years to preserve care standards. In Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, health unions have reported increasing early exits from the profession and growing difficulties in staffing hospitals and primary‑care settings.

The Spanish study, embedded within the Strategic Framework for Nursing Care 2025–2027, underscores the urgency of enhancing job security, professional recognition, and working conditions to stem a talent exodus that, if left unchecked, could jeopardize the sustainability of European health systems.

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