AMN Healthcare’s 2026 Healthcare Workforce Outlook Survey has identified a significant gap between how healthcare leaders view workplace conditions and how frontline professionals experience them, while highlighting continued commitment to patient care across the workforce.

The survey gathered responses from 4,040 healthcare professionals across leadership and frontline roles. Its Healthcare Workforce Outlook Index, which measures engagement, organizational health, leadership support, staffing confidence and future readiness, recorded an overall score of 38%.

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Employee engagement was the strongest area at 48%, while future readiness scored 29%, indicating lower confidence in the workforce’s ability to meet future demands. A notable leadership perception gap was also reported, with 58% of executives rating organizational leadership as effective compared with 28% of frontline workers.

“One of the most encouraging findings is that healthcare professionals remain deeply committed to caring for patients, which gives our industry a strong foundation to build on,” said Cary Grace, President and CEO of AMN Healthcare. “The opportunity now is to translate that commitment into a workforce experience that can be sustained. When leaders combine better workforce intelligence with meaningful frontline input and clear accountability, we can build a workforce that is better prepared for the future.”

Nurses reported particularly high levels of workforce strain, with only 18% considering current staffing levels adequate and 41% satisfied with their workload. Staffing-related care disruptions were reported by 85% of nurses, 75% of allied health professionals and 72% of physicians.

The survey recommends sustainable workload strategies, stronger communication between leaders and frontline teams, improved staffing models, workforce data visibility and greater investment in professional development.

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