Leadership is perceived as highly engaged at nearly double the rate of physicians and nurses, according to a fall 2025 survey from executive search firm B.E. Smith.
The “B.E. Smith 2026 Healthcare Leadership Trends” survey was conducted via email between Sept. 30 and Oct. 23, with responses from 703 executives. Respondents included C-suite leaders (27%), senior vice presidents and vice presidents (7%) and directors or managers (60%). Most respondents (73%) worked in hospitals or health systems, while 13% were in clinics or group practices and 5% in post-acute or urgent care settings.
Here are three things to know:
1. Most clinicians — physicians and nurses — fall in the medium engagement range, while physician high engagement rose 4 points year-over-year and nursing rose 1 point.
2. Burnout, scheduling challenges and reduced autonomy are cited as root causes of lagging clinician engagement.
3. Here’s a breakdown of perceived engagement levels:
Leadership
- High: 61%
- Medium: 29%
- Low: 8%
Physicians
- High: 34%
- Medium: 51%
- Low: 16%
Nursing Staff
- High: 34%
- Medium: 53%
- Low: 12%
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