Survey Reveals Widespread Burnout Among Nurses

DRAPER, Utah — A new survey from Joyce University of 1,000 U.S. nurses highlights the burnout many nurses say they experience every shift — and it’s raising red flags for long-term career sustainability, workforce stress, and safety.

Among the key findings from the study by Joyce University:

• 74% worked mandatory overtime three or more times last month;

• 74% of nurses have felt emotionally exhausted from work multiple times a week in the past month;

• 50% felt unsafe due to patient or family aggression;

• 47% struggle with sleep from work-related stress;

• 53% have seriously considered leaving the profession monthly or more;

• 25% of Gen Z nurses avoid mental health benefits due to career or confidentiality concerns; and

• 55% regularly skip meals or breaks due to workload.

Early-career nurses report the highest levels of daily burnout, even as the profession relies on them to backfill shortages driven by retirements and turnover. Meanwhile, younger workers are burning out faster than older cohorts, yet many fear speaking up.

With nurse demand at an all-time high and nearly 200,000 roles opening annually due to retirements and turnover, the findings raise urgent questions. Click here to read the full study.