How to Prevent Nurse Burnout in 2023

By Sarah Knight, ShiftMed Content Manager/January 3, 2023/ShiftMed, Nursing Profession

As a healthcare professional, how would you sum up your work-life balance in 2022? Like most of the CNAs, LPNs, and RNs we surveyed for our Annual State of Nursing Report, you probably feel physically and emotionally exhausted. In this post, we'll talk about what's happening in the profession and how you can prevent nurse burnout by taking back control of your life.

State of Nursing Statistics

Our 2022 report reflects the negative toll of the nursing shortage on the healthcare workforce, with 65% of our survey respondents indicating they'll likely leave the profession within the next two years. In our 2021 report, 49% of our survey respondents reported the same intentions.

According to a 2022 nursing shortage article published by the National Library of Medicine, the profession continues to face shortages due to a lack of potential educators, high turnover, and inequitable workforce distribution. The current national average for turnover rates is 8.8% to 37%, depending on the geographic location and nursing specialty.

Reconnect With Your Calling

When you start to feel the weight of the world falling on your shoulders, it helps to remember why you wanted to become a nurse in the first place. Because for a lot of you, nursing is not what you do—it's WHO YOU ARE. Plus, not everyone is wired to do what you do. So, instead of unplugging from doing what you love and being there for others, reconnect with your calling by taking care of yourself first.

While it sounds simple, we realize many nurses struggle with the concept of 'me' time. After all, the work demands created by the nursing shortage and increased patient needs have made nurses forget what's important to them.

If that's how it is for you, you must shift your mindset and develop some new habits that are all about you. Don't be afraid to embrace what your body is trying to tell you. You're experiencing nurse burnout for a reason, and this burnout can help pave the way for a breakthrough—you just need to let it in.

To get started, make a list of your priorities and activities you enjoy. Then, think of how you're going to remain accountable to yourself. Being disciplined about your 'me' time is critical. So, keep reminding yourself that you can only give your patients the best possible care when you're at your best. There's absolutely nothing wrong with treating yourself as well as you would a patient.

According to this Healthline article, forming a new habit can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days. The article also states it typically takes 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic. But that's only half of the work-life balance equation. You also need an employer that provides the job flexibility and perks you need to live your best life. This is where ShiftMed comes in.

Find a Flexible Employer Who Cares

ShiftMed helps set the foundation for your personal and professional success. We value your hard work and want you to have the means to thrive in life, not just survive. For starters, our nursing job app gives you complete control of your work schedule.

We give you the power to choose when, where, and how often you work. Through our app, you can easily access hundreds of open shifts at various healthcare facilities in your area, from per diem to long-term assignments. And with no shift minimums, you can work 8 hours one week and 40 the next. Not to mention, working weekends and holidays is now optional.

But job flexibility is only part of what we offer our CNAs, GNAs, LPNs, and RNs. While you're out changing lives for the better, we can do the same for you via our ShiftMed Cares™ suite of benefits. We provide: