Nursing Burnout Statistics 2024 By Causes And Work Environment

Introduction

Nursing Burnout Statistics: Nursing burnout has become a major problem in healthcare, especially after the pandemic and the difficult times during the lockdown. Nurses faced exhaustion, poor treatment, and high stress levels. Even though it’s been two years since then, the issue is still ongoing, mainly because there aren’t enough nurses being hired in healthcare facilities worldwide.

These nursing burnout statistics offer a global view of the problem’s severity. The report includes different types of data and helpful graphics to make the issue easier to understand. We have shed enough light on Nursing Burnout Statistics through this article.

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• In 2022, about 2.7 million nurses in the United States reported feeling burnt out from their work.
• Nursing Burnout Statistics stated that almost 60% of nurses in Belgium and 40% in Uganda experienced burnout.
• 2% of female nurses and 18.8% of male nurses reported feeling burned out during their jobs.
• 5% of nurses in China have had thoughts of suicide, while 17% of nurses in Australia sought help for their mental health.
• The 26– —to 30-year-old age group has the highest burnout rate, with 6% of nurses in this age group experiencing the most burnout.
• The main cause of burnout is low staffing, affecting 80.19% of nurses.
• In the United States, 46% of nurses face ethical dilemmas, and patients or their families have physically attacked 22%.
• By 2030, the world is expected to face a nurse shortage of 13 million due to burnout.
• The nurse turnover rate caused by burnout is 27.1%.
• For every 1% increase in turnover, hospitals lose about $262,300 annually.

What is Nursing Burnout?

Nurses play an important role in helping patients heal from illnesses and injuries, and they see the real difference they make in people’s lives. While nursing is a rewarding job for many, it also has its challenges.

Nurses are regularly exposed to pain, emotional struggles, and death, which can be very stressful. These difficult aspects of the job can affect even the strongest and most emotionally stable nurses.

When work-related stress leads to physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion, it’s called nurse burnout. Many nurses will experience burnout at some point in their careers. A 2017 study by Kronos found that 63% of nurses working in hospitals reported feeling burned out.

Burnout can make you feel powerless, but by understanding its causes and learning how to manage and prevent it, you can still have a successful nursing career.

Causes of Nurse Burnout

(Source: healthcare.ipro-inc.com)

According to Nursing Burnout Statistics, here are some common signs of burnout:

#1. Mental Signs

• Trouble concentrating or thinking clearly
• Forgetting details or conversations
• Difficulty making decisions or solving problems

#2. Emotional Signs

• Viewing patients as tasks instead of people needing care (depersonalization)
• Feeling uninterested or indifferent
• Getting easily frustrated or angry
• Feeling numb emotionally
• Feeling sad or down

#3. Physical Signs

• Trouble sleeping
• Digestive issues
• Frequent headaches

#4. Behavioral Signs

• Taking more risks than usual
• Struggling to help or support your team
• Turning to substances to cope

Burnout can also show up in everyday life in different ways, such as:

• Avoiding social activities: Frequently canceling plans or avoiding making them
• Emotional fatigue: Acting distant or avoiding interactions
• Sleep problems: Not getting enough sleep, sleeping too much, or never feeling rested
• Resentment: Holding grudges or being negative toward patients or coworkers
• Getting sick often: Having symptoms of a weak immune system, digestive problems like IBS or constipation, or heart palpitations

General Nursing Burnout Statistics

• 33% of nurses experience burnout.
• Nurses are 46% more likely to burn out compared to people in other jobs.
• 50% of nurses feel emotionally drained.
• Nursing Burnout Statistics stated that almost 62% of nurses suffer from tiredness and fatigue.
• Nurse burnout can increase the risk of infections in healthcare by 40%.
• About 74% of nurses say they feel overworked, which leads to burnout.
• Nursing Burnout Statistics stated that almost 1 in 3 nurses face high levels of burnout.
• Burnout rates among nurses range from 10% to 60% worldwide.

(Source: etactics.com)

• Nurses who work shifts longer than 12 hours are more likely to experience burnout.
• 40% of nurses feel disconnected from their work because of burnout.
• Nearly 45% of nurses believe their burnout is due to a lack of purpose or meaning in their work.
• Nurses dealing with burnout are 300% more likely to quit their jobs.
• Between 20% and 60% of nurses in the US experience burnout.
• 49% of nurses lose sleep due to work-related stress.
• Nurse burnout can cause a 300% increase in medical mistakes.

Burnout Statistics Based On Department

Here are the latest statistics on nursing burnout by Department:

• Critical care and neurology account for 48% of nursing burnout.
• Family medicine and gynecology follow closely with 47%.
• Pathology (32%), dermatology (32%), and plastic surgery (23%) have the lowest levels of burnout. These departments tend to have lower burnout because they require specialized knowledge and the use of advanced technology.

This breakdown shows how nursing burnout is more common in certain healthcare fields than in others.

Workload And Work Environment Influences

• Nurse burnout can raise the risk of healthcare-related infections by 40%.
• About 74% of nurses say too much work is a big cause of their burnout.
• Nurses who work shifts longer than 12 hours are more likely to experience burnout.
• 49% of nurses report losing sleep because of stress at work.
• Nursing Burnout Statistics stated that almost 85% of nurses say their workload has grown over the past year, leading to burnout.
• 56% of nurses believe not having enough control over their work environment contributes to burnout.
• Nurses with burnout are 2.6 times more likely to leave their jobs within a year.
• 53% of nurses say a lack of resources at work is a cause of burnout.
• Burnout in nurses can increase the chance of making medication mistakes.
• Nurses with burnout are 1.81 times more likely to quit their jobs.
• Nursing Burnout Statistics stated that almost 43% of nurses say poor working conditions lead to burnout.

(Reference: zippia.com)

• 79% of nurses report burnout because of extra administrative tasks.
• 69% of nurses say not having enough staff at work causes burnout.
• Nursing Burnout Statistics stated that almost 54% of nurses feel conflicts with coworkers cause burnout.
• Nearly 57% of nurses say burnout is due to not having enough chances for professional development.
• Around 63% of nurses believe burnout is caused by the culture within their workplace.

Reasons For Nurse Burnout Statistics

• 19% of nurses experience burnout due to insufficient staffing, making it the biggest cause.
• Other top reasons for burnout include:

#1. 76.41% of nurses feel emotionally drained.

#2. 75.73% face heavy workload demands.

#3. 66.41% blame workplace culture.

#4. 59.32% experience burnout because they feel disrespected at work.

(Reference: zippia.com)

• 47% of nurses feel they can’t talk to their boss about burnout.
• Among the 60% of nurses who did talk to their boss, 55.15% said their boss didn’t take action or punished them for speaking up.
• 08% reported burnout, but their employer did nothing to help.
• Nursing Burnout Statistics stated that almost 26.47% didn’t feel safe discussing burnout with their boss.
• Almost 11.07% faced punishment at work after reporting burnout.
• 22% have yet to have burnout problems.
• 68% didn’t know who to tell about burnout.
• 49% said their employer made changes to improve things.
• Nursing Burnout Statistics stated that almost 24% of healthcare facilities are facing a shortage of nurses.
• Almost 92% of nurses believe the shortage will get worse over the next 18 months (through 2023).
• 98% of nurses in hospitals say their job is physically and mentally demanding.
• Nearly 85% of nurses feel exhausted because of the increased demands of being understaffed and caring for more patients.

Nursing Burnout Statistics By Post-Pandemic Effects On Nurses

(Reference: enterpriseappstoday.com)

• In 2022, nurses in the United States faced several stress factors during and after the pandemic. Here are the key findings:
• 75% of nurses experienced burnout.
• 66% felt exhausted while working with patients.
• Nursing Burnout Statistics stated that almost 64% struggled with both depression and a decline in physical health.
• Almost 50% reported feeling stressed.
• Nearly 50% faced verbal abuse from patients or their families.
• 46% said ethical challenges were a source of stress.
• At around22% dealt with physical attacks from patients or their families.
• 10% of nurses had thoughts of suicide.

(Reference: enterpriseappstoday.com)

• 35% of nurses are more inclined to get support from mental health professionals outside of their job.
• Nursing Burnout Statistics stated that almost 23% said they are either likely or somewhat unlikely to seek this help.
• 18% are very likely to reach out for support.
• 36% said they are very unlikely to seek help from mental health professionals.

(Reference: enterpriseappstoday.com)

• 40% are seeking new positions within the same field.
• 27% want to become travel nurses after leaving their current job.
• 23% are thinking about changing careers entirely.
• 10% are considering retiring from work completely.

Nursing Shortage In The US Statistics

(Source: nurse.org)

• The nursing shortage is a big problem affecting nurses across the United States.
• According to the 2023 State of Nursing survey, 91% of nurses think the shortage is getting worse.
• Nursing Burnout Statistics said 99% of the need for nurses would be met by 2030.
• However, research suggests that this might actually be lower, around 94%, meaning 206,553 additional nurses will be needed by 2030.
• By 2030, 42 out of 50 states may face a nurse shortage. The states with the biggest expected shortages are North Dakota, Colorado, Texas, Florida, and Nevada.
• The nursing shortage has been an ongoing issue, but the COVID-19 pandemic made it much worse.

(Reference: statista.com)

• In 2023, burnout among registered nurses in the US was very high.
• Over two-thirds of the nurses said they felt burned out most days.
• 37% strongly agreed with this, and 31% somewhat agreed.
• Only 8% of nurses disagreed with feeling burnt out on most days at work.
• With increased workloads and fewer staff, more nurses are feeling burned out. According to our survey, 35% of nurses wanted to leave bedside care in 2022.
• Another issue is that many nurses are close to retirement. The 2020 National Nursing Workforce Survey found that the average age of a Registered Nurse (RN) is 52. This means many nurses will retire soon, and more new nurses will be needed to replace them.
• The 2020 HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections report predicts a shortage of 78,610 full-time RNs in 2025 and 63,720 in 2030, meaning 98% of nurse demand will be met.
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 6% growth in the nursing workforce over the next decade, slightly higher than the 5% average for all jobs.
• Nursing Burnout Statistics stated that the nursing shortage could get much worse by 2025, predicting a shortfall of 200,000 to 450,000 nurses, or 10% to 20% of the needed workforce.

Nursing Plan of Quitting Statistics

• Because of burnout, 40% of nurses worldwide are looking for new jobs in the same field.
• Nursing Burnout Statistics stated that almost 27% of them are interested in becoming travel nurses.
• 23% are thinking about changing careers, and 10% want to retire from nursing altogether.

(Reference: jobera.com)

• 95% of nurses have felt burnt out in the past three years.
• Nursing Burnout Statistics stated that almost 30% of nurses in the US have quit their jobs.
• The yearly turnover rate for nurses is 27.1%.
• Up to 2.7 million nurses in the US are affected by burnout.
• Nearly 34% of nurses planned to leave their jobs by the end of 2022.
• 40% of nurses are changing careers because of job fatigue.
• Nursing Burnout Statistics stated that almost 16% of nurses don’t enjoy their jobs anymore.
• 98% of hospitals report that the work is both physically and mentally exhausting.
• Almost 85% of nurses feel stressed because of the high demands.
• More than 50% of nurses quit within the first five years of working.
• 17% leave within the first year and 56% quit within the first two years.

Conclusion

Nurses across the United States are struggling with stress and burnout due to severe understaffing and the pressures of patient care. Currently, 2.7 million nurses report feeling burnt out. The problem has been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has pushed burnout rates to 62%. Additionally, 95% of nurses have said they’ve felt burnt out at some point in the last three years.

The issue is likely to worsen if more nurses leave the field, which will make staffing shortages even worse. To address this, employers need to create better working conditions to support their staff. We have shed enough light on Nursing Burnout Statistics through this article.

Ketaki Joshi

Ketaki Joshi is an experienced tech writer who specializes in gadget usage statistics. She excels at analyzing and reviewing the latest tech trends and newly launched devices. Ketaki creates insightful and easy-to-understand articles for websites and newsletters. Previously working at a French multinational company, she now follows her passion for writing. Her first short story, “The Envelope That Changed Our Lives,” is available on Amazon.

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