Traumatized and tired, nurses are quitting due to the pandemic

CNN spoke to three nurses from Florida, Oklahoma and Minnesota about why they quit their hospital jobs. It wasn’t a decision any of them made lightly — they’ve been nurses their entire adult lives.

And all three said they’re still overcome with guilt about leaving their jobs during the pandemic — even if they knew their decision was the right one.

“The mental-health impact this is going to have on nurses … I don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface of it yet,” Ellsworth said.

The nurses who spoke to CNN quit for different reasons: Unsupportive workplaces, overwhelming stress, the fear of bringing Covid-19 home to their families.

But it wasn’t unusual for US nurses to consider quitting even before the pandemic.