(Press-News.org) PHILADELPHIA (November 17, 2025) – A landmark international study finds that hospitals with better nurse staffing and work environments not only benefits nurses but is significantly associated with less physician burnout and job dissatisfaction. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, provides a clear solution to the global crisis of physician burnout.
A research team, led by Penn Nursing’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research (CHOPR), surveyed more than 6,400 physicians and 15,000 nurses across the United States and six European countries (Belgium, England, Germany, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden). The findings show that hospitals with better nurse staffing, supportive work environments, and effective interdisciplinary teamwork had substantially lower rates of physician burnout, job dissatisfaction, and intent to leave.
“Physician burnout is a global crisis, but few actionable solutions have been identified,” said Linda H. Aiken, PhD, RN, FAAN, FRCN, Professor of Nursing and Sociology and Founding Director, CHOPR. “Our study provides evidence that investing in nurses is a ‘two-for-one’ solution—improving both nurse and physician wellbeing while also strengthening patient care.”
Key findings include:
In US hospitals, a modest 10% improvement in the nurse work environment including staffing adequacy was associated with a 22% reduction in physician intent to leave, a 25% reduction in physicians unwilling to recommend their hospital as a place to work, a 19% reduction in physician job dissatisfaction, and a 10% reduction in physicians experiencing high burnout.
In European hospitals, a 10% increase in nurse staffing adequacy was linked to 20% lower physician intent to leave, 27% lower odds of not recommending their hospital, 15% lower physician job dissatisfaction, and 12% lower odds of high burnout.
Hospitals with stronger physician-nurse teamwork consistently reported better physician outcomes.
The results come at a critical time, as both physicians and nurses face unprecedented levels of stress, burnout, and turnover. According to the study, between 20–44% of physicians surveyed reported intentions to leave their hospital positions due to dissatisfaction, and up to 45% reported high burnout.
“These findings highlight a path forward that hospital leaders can act on immediately,” said Karen B. Lasater, PhD, RN, the Jessie M. Scott Term Chair in Nursing and Health Policy, Associate Professor, and Associate Director, CHOPR. “Improving nurse staffing and creating supportive work environments are organizational reforms that are feasible, evidence-based, and capable of retaining both nurses and physicians.”
The research was conducted by the Magnet4Europe Consortium in collaboration with the U.S. Clinician Well-Being Study Consortium, with support from the National Institute of Nursing Research and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program. The full study, “Informing Hospital Physician Wellbeing Interventions in Europe and the United States: A Cross-sectional Study,” is available open access in JAMA Network Open.
# # #
About the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) is one of the world’s leading nursing schools. It has been ranked the #1 nursing school in the U.S. by QS University for a decade. Our Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is among the top-ranked programs in the nation, according to the 2026 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings. Penn Nursing also consistently earns high rankings in U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of best graduate schools and is a top recipient of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for nursing research. Penn Nursing prepares nurse scientists and nurse leaders to meet the health needs of a global society through innovation in research, education, and practice. Follow Penn Nursing on: Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, & Instagram.
About the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research: The Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing is dedicated to building the actionable evidence base needed to advance effective policy, practice, and health system reforms that improve health outcomes, cultivate clinician well-being, and promote health equity across communities.
END
Investing in nurses reduces physician burnout, international study finds
2025-11-17
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Small changes in turnout could substantially alter election results in the future, study warns
2025-11-17
Small changes in turnout could substantially alter election results in the future because the UK now has a multiparty system with majoritarian voting rules, a new study warns.
Last year’s General Election, which saw a marked increase in the number of candidates and a fragmented vote, will have an impact on the mandate of the Labour government, an expert has said.
The research shows how the 2024 election tested the boundaries of the first-past-the-post system and the result means the UK has an uncertain electorate with diverse preferences. While the result led to a stable government there is plenty of instability.
The study, by Dr Hannah Bunting, from the University ...
Medicaid expansion increases access to HIV prevention medication for high-risk populations
2025-11-17
Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) significantly increased the number of people at risk of HIV diagnosis who were prescribed preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a preventative medication taken in pill or injectable form, according to Rutgers Health–led research.
The study, published in Health Affairs, analyzed PrEP prescription data from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., between 2012 and 2023.
Researchers found rates of PrEP prescribing increased overall and significantly increased relative to the number of new HIV diagnoses across all demographic groups, potentially because ...
Arkansas research awarded for determining cardinal temps for eight cover crops
2025-11-17
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Knowing what temperatures that a plant can withstand is a hallmark of botanical science, but those temperatures had not been well documented for many cover crops.
Grown in periods of the year when the cash crop is absent, cover crops are planted for erosion control, as well as weed suppression and to improve soil structure, moisture retention and nutrient cycling. They also provide habitat for beneficial insects and can serve as forage for farm animals.
Without knowledge of the cover crops’ base, optimal and maximum temperature ranges —known as cardinal temperatures — agricultural ...
Study reveals how the gut builds long-lasting immunity after viral infections
2025-11-17
A new study led by University of Toronto researchers has shown that immune cells in the gut follow an atypical pathway to produce antibodies that provide long-term protection against viruses.
The findings, which were published today in the journal Cell, could help guide the development of better vaccines for respiratory viruses like influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and bird flu.
While COVID-19 and flu vaccines reduce the risk of severe complications of illness, they are less effective at preventing infections at the outset. To protect against infection, a vaccine must activate a strong immune response at the places where a virus typically gains entry ...
How people identify scents and perceive their pleasantness
2025-11-17
In a new JNeurosci paper, Masako Okamoto and colleagues, from the University of Tokyo, explored the brain activity involved in smelling odors.
The researchers recorded brain activity as study volunteers inhaled a panel of odors. The volunteers also completed questionnaires as well as tests for odor detection, identification, and discrimination. A distinct frequency of brain activity arising soon after odor presentation was linked to detecting odors. Notably, the quality of this activity was associated with the ability to discriminate ...
Evidence builds for disrupted mitochondria as cause of Parkinson’s
2025-11-17
SAN FRANCISCO—November 17, 2025—For decades, scientists have known that mitochondria, which produce energy inside our cells, malfunction in Parkinson’s disease. But a critical question remained: do the failing mitochondria cause Parkinson’s, or do they become damaged when brain cells die during the course of disease?
Many studies have sought to answer this question over the years. Yet, progress has been slow—in large part due to the limitations of animal models used to research this highly complex disease.
Now, a team of scientists ...
SwRI turbocharges its hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine
2025-11-17
SAN ANTONIO — November 17, 2025 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has upgraded its hydrogen-powered heavy-duty internal combustion engine (H2-ICE) with a state-of-the-art turbocharger. The upgrades have significantly improved performance across the board, making the engine competitive with current long-haul diesel engines focused on fuel economy while maintaining near-zero tailpipe emissions.
In 2023, SwRI converted a traditional natural gas-fueled internal combustion engine to run solely on hydrogen fuel with minimal modifications. It was integrated into a Class-8 truck as part of the Institute’s H2-ICE project to demonstrate a cost-efficient hydrogen-fueled ...
Parasitic ant tricks workers into killing their queen, then takes the throne
2025-11-17
Scientists document a new form of host manipulation where an invading, parasitic ant queen “tricks” ant workers into killing their queen mother. The invading ant integrates herself into the nest by pretending to be a member of the colony, then sprays the host queen with fluid that causes her daughters to turn against her. The parasitic queen then usurps the throne, having the workers serve her instead as the new queen regent. This work appears in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on November 17.
“At first, I wanted the title of this study to exemplify a fable where a daughter is tricked to kill their mother. I asked CHATGPT ...
New study identifies part of brain animals use to make inferences
2025-11-17
Animals survive in changing and unpredictable environments by not merely responding to new circumstances, but also, like humans, by forming inferences about their surroundings—for instance, squirrels understand that certain bird noises don’t signal the presence of a predator, so won’t seek shelter when they later hear these same sounds. But less clear is how the brain works to create these inferences.
In a newly published study in the journal Neuron, a team of New York University researchers ...
Reducing arsenic in drinking water cuts risk of death, even after years of chronic exposure
2025-11-17
A new 20-year study of nearly 11,000 adults in Bangladesh found that lowering arsenic levels in drinking water was associated with up to a 50 percent lower risk of death from heart disease, cancer and other chronic illnesses, compared with continued exposure.
Published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study provides the first long-term, individual-level evidence that reducing arsenic exposure may lower mortality, even among people exposed to the toxic contaminant for years.
The landmark analysis, led by researchers at Columbia University and New York University, is important for public health because ...