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The Gen Z Stare: How Nurse Leaders Can Support and Retain the Next Generation


Photo by Niaya Ramirez
Photo by Niaya Ramirez

Have you experienced the Gen Z stare?


It’s been a hot topic this summer—their unwavering, clear-eyed gaze that seems to say: "I’m watching. I see what you value. I see what you ignore. And I’m deciding if this is a place where I can stay."


As nurse leaders, we’d be wise to pause under that gaze and ask ourselves hard questions. The latest data from Press Ganey and HealthLeaders makes one thing clear: Gen Z nurses are watching, and many aren’t liking what they see.



Gen Z Nurses Are Leaving—Fast


Press Ganey’s 2025 Nurse Experience Report paints a stark picture: 24% of Gen Z RNs left their organizations in 2024. That’s nearly one in four from the generation just beginning to shape our profession’s future.


Why are they leaving? It isn’t just about paychecks or perks. This generation’s distinct priorities include:


  • A sense of purpose

  • Genuine support and alignment

  • Flexibility and inclusion

  • Opportunities for growth


Traditional work models fall short for them. And as HealthLeaders reports, "Low perceptions of physical and psychological safety among Gen Z nurses may be accelerating the rift." That sense of vulnerability is a critical, often overlooked driver of turnover that healthcare leaders must take seriously.

Bar chart titled "2024 RN Turnover Rate by Generation." Boomer: 19%, Gen X: 13%, Millennial: 21%, Gen Z: 24%. Soft colors, abstract leaf patterns.


Safety Culture Is Slipping


Even more concerning: the safety culture nurses experience is eroding. Press Ganey highlights that only 74% of employees now say mistakes are treated as learning opportunities—a drop from 77%. This signals a breakdown of psychological safety, a key pillar of healthy teams and patient care.



Why It Matters: Teams and Patients Are Connected


The data shows a direct link between nurse experience and patient experience. Press Ganey reports that patients' likelihood to recommend a hospital rises:


  • +9.23% when nurses report a strong safety culture

  • +7.79% with adequate staffing and resources

  • +6.12% with strong interprofessional relationships

  • +5.99% when nurses have autonomy in their roles


When nurses thrive, patients feel it. When nurses feel unsafe or unsupported, patients feel that too.



Could Gen Z Help Us Find Our Way Back?


This is where that Gen Z stare becomes a gift. It invites us to remember why most of us entered this profession: to care. To connect. To heal. To create environments where people can do their best work together.


What if Gen Z’s insistence on purpose, inclusion, and psychological safety isn’t a threat to our systems but a call to return to nursing’s roots as a caring science?


What if their boldness to walk away when their values aren’t met is exactly the kind of mirror we need to see the changes required in our leadership, culture, and systems?



This Fall: A Chance to Lead Differently


At CODE YOU, we know nurse leaders are carrying enormous weight. That’s why this fall we’re offering a one-day Wholistic Nursing Leadership Retreat, followed by three weekly Zoom sessions. Together, we’ll explore how to:


  • Support and engage Gen Z nurses with intention

  • Rebuild cultures of trust and psychological safety

  • Care for your own heart and soul as you lead


This isn’t just professional development—it’s a chance to recalibrate, restore, and lead in a way that aligns with the truest roots of nursing.



Are We Ready?


The Gen Z stare challenges us to look inward as leaders and ask:


  • Are we creating spaces where nurses feel safe to speak, learn, and grow?

  • Do our actions align with the caring values we profess?

  • Are we willing to rethink outdated systems for the sake of those we lead and serve?


Gen Z is showing us the cracks in our foundation. The question is: Will we thank them for holding up the mirror and work together to rebuild?




References


HealthLeaders. (2024). Nurse turnover: Facts and figures [Infographic]. https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/cno/infographic-nurse-turnover-facts-and-figures


HealthLeaders. (2024). Boosting Gen Z engagement: The secret to nurse retention. https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/cno/boosting-gen-z-engagement-secret-nurse-retention


Press Ganey. (2025). Nurse experience 2025: A new urgency for improving the nurse experience [Report]. https://info.pressganey.com/e-books-research/nurse-experience-2025?utm_medium=scnt&utm_content=pr&utm_campaign=CL-STOFNU#main-content



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