Suicides among nurses are on the rise. Here's why one of America's fastest-growing jobs is facing a major crisis. (businessinsider.com)

Researchers from the University of California at San Diego recently conducted what they said is the first nationwide investigation into nurse suicides in more than 20 years. They found that both male and female nurses had higher rates of suicide than men and women in the US.

The findings are consistent with the increasing rates of suicide across the country. The US suicide rate has risen in recent years, increasing by 28% in the past two decades, to the highest it's been since World War II.

While researchers have often documented burnout and suicide among physicians, very few have spent time assessing the mental health and suicide rates among nurses, the study's lead researcher, Judy Davidson, told MedPage Today.

"Nurses are known not to care for themselves as much as they care for others," Davidson, a nurse scientist, told the publication. "It's just a part of who we are."

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