One in Six Spanish Nurses Plans to Quit in Two Years, Study Finds

Nurses in Spain are not leaving the profession for any single reason. Rather, a set of structural conditions that undermine daily practice – particularly job insecurity and perceptions of poor care quality – are driving the exodus. That is the conclusion of the largest study conducted to date in the country, which found that nearly four in ten nursing professionals are considering leaving the profession within the next decade.

The research was led by the Ministry of Health and the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), based on more than 20,000 survey responses, and published in the Journal of Nursing Management. According to the report, 39.6% of surveyed nurses intend to leave the profession in the next ten years. An even more immediate concern: 17% expect to leave within just two years.

Among the factors behind this trend are a lack of job security, excessive workloads, and negative perceptions of the quality of care and patient safety. The study quantifies the impact: temporary contracts increase the likelihood of leaving by 33%. The perception of poor patient safety raises the risk by 81%. More than half of those who want to quit – 56.5% – cite lack of stability as the main reason, followed by limited recognition and working conditions that many see as inadequate.

The analysis also reveals significant regional inequalities. In regions such as Madrid, the Canary Islands, Galicia, and the Balearic Islands, the likelihood of intending to leave is more than twice that of Navarra. The authors link these differences to variations in working conditions and the organization of the health system.

Another key factor is the mismatch between training and professional practice. Only 34.5% of specialist nurses work in their actual field of specialization. That disconnect contributes directly to professional dissatisfaction. Added to this is a chronic lack of time for patient care – to the point that 60% of surveyed nurses admit to omitting care tasks.

The phenomenon is not unique to Spain. Across several European countries, health systems are facing a growing shortage of nursing staff, exacerbated by aging populations, mounting pressure on services, and the difficulty of retaining talent. International organizations have warned that the European Union may need hundreds of thousands of additional nurses in the coming years just to maintain current standards of care. In Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, health unions have reported rising rates of early exits from the profession and persistent difficulties covering shifts in hospitals and primary care settings.

The Spanish study, which forms part of the Strategic Framework for Nursing Care 2025–2027, stresses the need to improve job security, professional recognition, and working conditions as key elements in halting what it describes as an exodus of talent. If not addressed, the authors warn, the trend could undermine the sustainability of European health systems more broadly.

For now, one in six Spanish nurses is already planning to hang up their scrubs in the next two years. And in a hospital near you – whether in Madrid, Berlin, or London – the person who should be checking your vitals might already be looking for the exit.