Burnout isn’t just a buzzword. For nurses, it’s a daily reality, one that’s increasingly difficult to ignore. Whether you’re a new grad or a seasoned ICU pro, the emotional exhaustion, high stress, and chronic overwork have become part of the air we breathe. But the data? It’s confirming what we’ve all been feeling for years: we’re not okay.
Let’s walk through the most recent burnout statistics for nurses and unpack what they mean, because behind every number is a nurse navigating another shift on empty.
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Burnout is widespread… and growing
More than two-thirds of registered nurses in the U.S. reported feeling burned out on most days in 2023*. That’s a significant jump from 57% just two years earlier. In practical terms, that means nearly 7 out of 10 nurses are showing up to work while emotionally drained.
Even more concerning, 66% of nurses identified burnout as one of the main reasons for the ongoing nursing shortage. So this isn’t just about individual stress, it’s a workforce crisis.
And nurse practitioners? They’re not exempt. In 2024, 70% of NPs reported feeling burned out, depressed, or both. Over a quarter said they were experiencing both at the same time. 😫 This shows that burnout cuts across specialties and levels of practice. No one is untouched.
*All sources and citations are listed at the end of the post.
It’s not just you, burnout is rising over time
Burnout isn’t just a post-COVID spike, it’s part of a longer trend. Between 2018 and 2022, burnout among healthcare workers overall rose from 32% to 46%. More telling, the number of people who reported feeling burned out “very often” jumped from 11.6% to 19%.
In 2024, 39% of nurses said their burnout had worsened compared to the year before. So even though we’ve seen more awareness and conversation around mental health in nursing, the pressure continues to mount.
This is not just one tough week. It’s a chronic state of depletion, and the longer it goes on, the harder it becomes to recover.
Mental health and burnout go hand-in-hand
While burnout is often discussed in terms of exhaustion, we can’t ignore its deep connection to mental health. In 2024, only 24% of nurses said they had sought professional help for burnout or depression. Nearly 40% had never done so.
That leaves a large number of nurses suffering in silence, coping alone with symptoms that affect everything from clinical judgment to personal relationships.
Another major factor? Workplace harassment. Nurses who’ve experienced it are far more likely to deal with anxiety, depression, and burnout. It’s a painful reminder that culture matters, and that toxic environments can compound emotional strain, fast.
What’s fueling the fire?
Let’s talk causes. In 2024, 62% of nurse practitioners cited excessive bureaucratic tasks. Think nonstop documentation, policies, and chart audits, as the top contributor to their burnout. IYKYK
It’s not just about what’s emotionally taxing, it’s what’s logistically draining. We didn’t go into this career to spend half their day wrestling with a glitchy EHR.
Alongside the paperwork? Poor working conditions (55%) and inadequate pay (51%) round out the top frustrations. And let me be clear, these are not “nice to have” fixes. They’re essential to creating environments where nurses can sustainably care for others (and ourselves!).
Stress is the default, but it shouldn’t be
In 2023, 56% of registered nurses reported feeling “a great deal” of stress at work. Another 25% said they felt “a lot.” That’s over 80% of nurses working under high stress every shift.
And let’s be very real, this isn’t the kind of stress that’s fixed by a 10-minute mindfulness app. This is the kind that lingers in your body even after you clock out. The kind that makes sleep elusive and weekends feel too short to matter.
It’s not normal. And it’s not sustainable.
What can actually help? Realistic solutions to nurse burnout
Okay, we’ve seen all the numbers, but here’s the good news: you’re not powerless. Burnout might be widespread, but there are real, grounded ways to take your energy, boundaries, and emotional well-being back into your own hands. Let’s walk through a few that can make a difference, even if the system isn’t changing fast enough.
✋ Build Micro-Boundaries Into Your Day
Burnout (like most unhealthy patterns) thrives in chaos, but small, consistent boundaries can start to quiet the noise. This could look like:
- Actually taking your full lunch break (radical, I know!)
- Setting a rule for yourself to stop checking the schedule or emails on your day off
- Creating a short end-of-shift routine (like a 3-minute car breathwork session or mantra) to help your nervous system switch gears
These are NOT selfish, they’re how you stay sustainable in a high-pressure job.
💛 Practice Emotional Detachment (Without Checking Out)
This one’s huge. One of the most effective burnout prevention strategies is learning to emotionally detach: not from your patients, but from your employer.
In my post about preventing compassion burnout, we talk about how hospitals often use phrases like “we’re a family” to foster loyalty, while still operating like profit-driven businesses. That mismatch can lead us to over-identify with our job and take on more than we should.
Detaching emotionally doesn’t mean you stop caring. It means you care wisely. You recognize that your job is a professional relationship, not your identity. When you stop tying your worth to how much you suffer for your unit, burnout loses its grip.
📌 Want more on that? Read the full post here → Your Hospital Is Not Your Mom: Preventing Compassion Burnout in Nursing
🧘♀️ Use Self-Compassion as a Tool, Not a Fluff Phrase
Being hard on yourself doesn’t make you a better nurse, it just drains you faster. Instead of piling on guilt or shame when you’re exhausted or overwhelmed, try self-compassion. Not the “treat yourself” kind (though, hey, they do help sometimes), the “I’m doing the best I can with what I have” kind.
Try reframing mistakes or tough shifts with:
👉 “This was hard. I showed up. That matters.”
It’s a mental shift that can help restore your sense of self when the job feels like it’s swallowing you whole.
🔄 Explore Career Shifts That Work for You
Sometimes, burnout is a sign it’s time to move. Not out of nursing, but maybe into a different specialty, shift, or role. You’re not failing by needing a change, you’re evolving. That’s what smart professionals do.
👀 Thinking about going back to school or pivoting your career path? Use the below nursing program search tool from our partner Esyoh to explore accredited programs based on your current license and goals. ⬇️
Final thoughts: You’re not alone, and you’re not the problem
Burnout is sometimes framed like it’s a personal flaw. Like if we were just more resilient or managed it better, we’d be fine. But the numbers tell a different story. Nurses across the country, in every specialty and setting, are sounding the alarm. And behind every percentage is a nurse skipping meals, working short, pushing through grief, or driving home after a shift wondering if they can keep doing this.
You’re not weak for feeling the weight. You’re strong for even carrying it this far. But strength doesn’t mean staying stuck. So while we’ll absolutely continue to push for systemic change, we can also care for ourselves (and each other) starting right now.
🧰 More Resources for Burned Out Nurses
Here are a few resources if you’re feeling the weight of burnout right now:
- Need a mindset shift? Download the free Empowered Nurse Ebook to learn how to stop overgiving and start setting healthy, sustainable boundaries.
- Need to learn how to protect yourself from burnout better? Read: Your Hospital Is Not Your Mom and People Pleasing in Nursing: How Perfectionism Leads to Burnout
- Overwhelmed by loan payments on top of burnout? Check out this post on whether refinancing your student loan could be a good move.
- Looking for a change? Use our partner’s tool below to explore degree programs that match your license and your goals, whether you want to pivot to leadership, or something totally new. 👇
Citations
Statista. (2024). Nurses feeling burnout in the U.S. 2021–2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1389778/nurses-feeling-burnout-united-states/
Nurse.org. (2024). State of Nursing in 2024. https://nurse.org/articles/state-of-nursing-2024/
Statista. (2024). Nurses experiencing burnout and depression in the U.S. 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1537232/nurses-depression-burnout-united-states/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Vital signs: Health worker mental health. https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/health-worker-mental-health/index.html
Daily Nurse. (2024). The state of the nursing workforce in 2024. https://www.dailynurse.com/the-state-of-the-nursing-workforce-in-2024/
Statista. (2024). Nurses seeking professional help for burnout and depression in the U.S. 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1537097/nurses-burnout-depression-stance-professional-help-united-states/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Mental health conditions among healthcare workers — MMWR. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7244e1.htm
Statista. (2024). Leading causes of burnout among nurse practitioners in the U.S. 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1535429/leading-causes-for-burn-out-in-us-nurse-practitioners/
Statista. (2023). Stress levels experienced by nurses in the U.S. 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1389552/stress-level-experienced-by-nurses-nursing-job-united-states/
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