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

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Nurses are more susceptible to suicide, a new study finds.

• A report on nurse suicides recently found the profession has a higher rate of death by suicide compared to the general population.
• Nursing is one of the fastest growing occupations in the US, yet nurses work long hours and often face physical abuse on the job.
• Nursing is one of many occupations with growing rates of suicide.
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Nurses - who typically work long hours and may face abuse on the job - are more likely to take their own lives, a new study finds.

Researchers from the University of California-San Diego recently conducted the first nationwide investigation into nurse suicides in more than 20 years. They found that male and female nurses both have higher rates of suicide than the general US population.

The nurse suicide epidemic is consistent with increasing rates of suicide across the country. The US suicide rate spiked in recent years, increasing by 28% in the past two decades, and the rate of suicide is the highest its been since World War II.

Read more: Nurses reveal the best parts about their job, from the steady pay to helping save lives

For nurses, hardships on the job include working long hours due to nationwide worker shortages, plus dealing with physical and verbal abuse on the job.

Here's what the high rate of suicide among nurses tells us about the crisis facing one of the nation's most in-demand jobs.

If you are a nurse with a story to share, email aakhtar@businessinsider.com.