5 Tips for How to Handle Nursing Burnout

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Nurse burnout is a challenging and important topic. Today’s nurses are feeling the strain, and it’s hard not to consider how things have changed since the pandemic. The last four years have reshaped nursing, especially with the increased wave of retirements from baby boomers and an aging patient population driving up nursing demand. There are more patients than ever, but fewer nurses are entering the profession and those who do are experiencing nurse burnout faster than before. 

The American Journal of Public Health surveyed nurses in 2022 and reported that over 93% reported significant exhaustion. Critical factors cited for exhaustion and burnout were inadequate staffing, lower psychological safety and younger age. Higher wellness scores were associated with employer support, positive practice environments, job satisfaction and effective coping strategies.

So, how can we protect nurses’ mental health and preserve the nursing profession?

Understanding Nurse Burnout

Nursing burnout is more than just feeling tired—it’s a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion from prolonged workplace stress. Symptoms may include:

• Chronic Fatigue 
• Emotional Detachment 
• Reduced Job Performance
• Physical Issues 
  • Headaches 
  • Insomnia
  • Chronic Pain
  • Digestive Issue

Burnout is widespread in nursing, driven by high patient loads, long hours and the emotional toll of the job. Burnout impacts nurse health—leading to anxiety, depression and even self-harm—but it also affects patient care, increasing errors and lowering care quality. Nursing burnout and compassion fatigue are pushing many nurses out of the profession, worsening the overall strain on healthcare. The pandemic only worsened things, especially for younger nurses who still feel the effects. 

New nurses didn’t, and continue not to, have the same access to senior nurse mentorship, which is greatly needed for professional support. Many new grads, or “baby nurses”, were thrust into leadership roles in a fend-for-yourself situation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, which coincided with the retirement of many baby boomer nurses and led even more nurses to take early retirement.

According to the 2024 Vivian Health State of Healthcare Workforce survey, 72% of healthcare providers surveyed said they were experiencing substantial burnout, and 71% of respondents said their burnout was the same or worse than the previous year. The American Nurses Association (ANA) reported that 56% of nurses surveyed in its Spring 2023 Mental Health and Wellness Survey were experiencing symptoms of burnout, while 64% experienced a great deal of stress. 

5 Essential Tips to Beat Nurse Burnout

Nurse burnout can take the joy out of a career that’s all about compassion and care. These five essential tips may help recharge your spirit and keep burnout in check.

1. Prioritize Self-Care

The constant talk about self-care can be overwhelming for nurses. Nurses are constantly told to practice and prioritize self-care. But as a nurse, what does that even mean? And how are you supposed to squeeze one more thing into your already packed schedule?

Self-care is presented as the go-to solution for burnout, but it can feel impossible to fit into an already overloaded schedule. The irony? Despite how difficult it seems, self-care is essential—especially for nurses. It’s not about indulging in the occasional spa day but establishing routines that keep you grounded and build emotional resilience. 

Small, consistent actions can make a significant difference in maintaining your well-being. Physical self-care is foundational. Nurses are used to putting others first, but caring for your body is crucial. Incorporating brief exercises into your day, like a quick walk or stretch during a break, can boost your energy levels. Nutrition is also vital—balancing your diet with healthy foods instead of relying on caffeine alone can make a world of difference. 

Prioritizing sleep is non-negotiable. This practice looks different for nurses, who squeeze in naps when they can and sleep at odd times of the day. However, I’ve found that every bit of extra sleep helps when doing shift work and switching from nights to days. My biggest takeaway as a nurse for almost a decade is not to fight sleep. If you’re tired, rest. 

Self-care isn’t an extra task on your to-do list. It’s what enables you to keep going. Integrating self-care through movement, nutrition and rest in your daily life can safeguard your mental well-being and prepare you for the high demands of a nursing job.

2. Establish Healthy Boundaries

Setting healthy boundaries is crucial for nurses, especially when the temptation to take on extra work arises. While it might feel necessary to say yes to everything, constantly overextending is a sure way to lead to burnout. Establishing clear professional and personal limits helps protect mental and physical health, allowing you to maintain energy and focus.

Understanding the importance of boundaries is essential, especially for new nurses trying to pay off student loans and obtain experience. Nurses can ensure long-term career sustainability and well-being by saying no when necessary and prioritizing work-life balance. A few ways to set healthy boundaries include:

• Say no to overtime
• Ask for help
• Set clear work hours
• Limit additional responsibilities
• Communicate boundaries

3. Seek Peer Support

According to the Committee on the Future of Nursing, nurse leaders play a significant role in the health of a unit and hospital by fostering a supportive work environment to promote well-being and manage stress. By addressing workplace safety, inclusivity and bullying, and creating a culture where every nurse feels respected, leaders can help build strong support networks. 

Investing in resilience training, teaching cognitive-behavioral skills and promoting self-care during the workday all contribute to a healthier work-life balance. Nurse leaders should promote mentorship programs for new nurses to help them build confidence, develop essential skills and navigate the challenges of the profession with the support of experienced colleagues.

Joining professional organizations can provide nurses with valuable resources, support and opportunities for growth, in addition to support groups within your hospital or with colleagues. These networks offer a sense of community, helping nurses connect with others who understand the unique challenges of the profession. Some organizations to consider are:

• American Nurses Association
  • Provides education, advocacy and networking opportunities, helping nurses stay current and connected nationwide.
• Emergency Nurses Association 
  • Delivers specialized resources and community support for emergency nurses, enhancing professional development and stress management.
• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses 
  • Develops standards for healthy work environments, guiding nurses in creating and sustaining supportive, safe workplaces.

4. Utilize Stress-Relief Techniques

While healthcare organizations are responsible for creating conditions that foster well-being and integrity, the Committee on the Future of Nursing states that nurses must also take ownership of their own well-being by identifying their needs and investing in self-care. 

Mindfulness skills, such as those taught through mindfulness-based stress reduction and cognitive therapy, are crucial for building awareness of your reactions and developing the ability to choose how to respond to challenging situations. Engaging in creative outlets or hobbies also provides an essential mental break, offering relaxation and a chance to recharge. These practices help nurses develop new neural pathways to calm a reactive nervous system, not just to tolerate intolerable situations but to restore stability and make decisions that align with their values and commitments.

The ANA offers several well-being tools and resources for nurses experiencing burnout, from grief support groups to “safe space” phone lines. Speaking to a therapist or joining a support group are great ways to manage burnout. Other coping mechanisms can include implementing stress-relief techniques like Tai Chi, yoga, journaling and somatic exercises into daily routines. 

It’s crucial to find strategies to help you manage stress both at work and on your days off. By incorporating mindfulness practice into your free time at home, you’ll be more equipped to get through those stressful moments at work. You may find that a quick breathing exercise is more effective for combating overwhelming feelings than a med-room cry session when you have patients to see. 

5. Explore Career Changes 

One of the beautiful aspects of nursing is the ability to have multiple careers within the same profession. If you’ve been trying to manage within your current role but can’t escape the symptoms of burnout, it may be time to change things up. There are many nontraditional virtual and remote nursing roles to consider. If you want to stay with in-person patient care, consider a career shift to a different specialty. 

When I was experiencing burnout, I took a brief pause from nursing to assess what I was looking for and realized I needed a change from the constant environment and bureaucracy that goes with staff nursing. I began travel nursing for a better work-life balance, which also led to better wages through a higher travel salary, the ability to make my own schedule and a chance to try different hospital and workplace settings and meet new people.

Best of all, I can travel nurse with my family while my kids are young and my husband’s work is flexible. Still, it’s good to note that if we couldn’t travel far from our home or as the kids get older and circumstances change, local travel nurse contracts would be available as an option.

Burnout might be creeping in, but that doesn’t mean you must give up on nursing. Try these tips and sign up for a Vivian account to discover new opportunities waiting for you.

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Editor’s Note: Originally published 1/31/22, updated 9/25/2024.