Nurse Stories
If you’ve ever walked out of a shift feeling completely drained, questioning how you’re going to come back and do it all over again, you’re not alone. I’ve been there. Most nurses have. Here's what I've learned and what nurses across different settings keep coming back to about what actually helps.
What Nurse Burnout Actually Looks Like
Burnout doesn’t always show up as a dramatic breaking point. Sometimes it’s subtle. It looks like going through the motions, feeling detached from your patients, or realizing you’re not as sharp, patient, or present as you used to be. Other times, it hits harder. You feel exhausted before your shift even starts, frustrated by things that normally wouldn’t bother you, and emotionally tapped out.
For a long time, I think many of us were taught to push through it. To keep going, because that’s what nurses do. But what I’ve learned, and what I hear over and over again from nurses across different settings, is that pushing through without addressing it doesn’t fix burnout. It prolongs it.
The scale of the problem is significant — a 2020 ANA survey found that almost two-thirds of nurses (62%) experience burnout, and the signs are often dismissed until they become impossible to ignore.
So What Actually Helps Nurses Recover From Burnout?
One of the first things nurses tell me is this: acknowledging it matters. Not minimizing it, not brushing it off, and not pretending everything is fine. Just being honest with yourself and saying, “That shift was a lot,” or “I’m not okay today.” That awareness is the starting point for change.
Reclaim Small Moments of Control
Another common thread is creating small moments of control in a job that often feels unpredictable. Nursing can feel chaotic. You don’t always control your assignment, your patient load, or what walks through the door. But you can control certain parts of your day. That might look like taking a few intentional minutes before your shift to mentally prepare, stepping away for a real break when you can, or organizing your workflow in a way that reduces unnecessary stress. These small adjustments don’t eliminate burnout, but they help you regain a sense of control.
Connection as a Nurse Burnout Antidote
Connection is another big one. Nursing can feel isolating, even when you’re surrounded by people. I’ve found that talking with colleagues who understand the realities of the job can make a huge difference. Sometimes it’s a quick debrief after a tough case. Other times it’s a deeper conversation about what you’re carrying. Either way, being seen and understood helps lighten the load.
Processing What You Carry and Why It Matters for Burnout
There’s something nurses don’t always talk about enough: how we process what we experience. We see a lot. Loss, trauma, difficult family dynamics, system failures. If we don’t process it, it builds up. Some nurses journal. Some pray or meditate. Some go to therapy. Others need quiet time alone or physical activity to reset. There’s no one right way, but there does need to be an outlet.
Rest and Recovery: What Nurses Actually Need
Rest is another piece, and I know it’s easier said than done. Our schedules aren’t always forgiving. But recovery requires real rest, not just sleep, but time where your mind and body can come down from a constant state of alertness. Even small changes in how you use your time off can make a difference. Protecting that time instead of filling it with more obligations is something many nurses say helps them recover more fully.
Reconnecting With Your Purpose as a Nurse
Burnout has a way of making everything feel transactional. Tasks, checklists, getting through the shift. But when you take a step back and remember why you chose this profession, even in small moments, it can shift your perspective. It might be a patient interaction, a thank you, or even knowing you made a difference in a way no one else saw. Those moments matter more than we sometimes realize.
When Recovering From Nurse Burnout Means Making a Change
Sometimes, recovery looks like change. Adjusting your schedule, exploring a different unit, stepping into a new role, or even taking a break when possible. Nursing is not one-size-fits-all, and staying in an environment that continuously drains you without relief is not sustainable.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that burnout is not a sign of weakness. It’s often a sign that you’ve been strong for too long without enough support. While we can’t control every aspect of our work environment, we do have a responsibility to pay attention to what we need.
Recovery doesn’t happen overnight. It’s not one big fix. It’s a series of small, intentional choices that help you feel more like yourself again.
As nurses, we’re used to being the steady presence for everyone else. But we deserve that same level of care and attention for ourselves.
Because when we take the time to recover, we don’t just come back to work. We come back better. More present. More grounded. And more capable of doing the work we were called to do.
About the Author
Alice Benjamin, MSN, ACNS-BC, FNP-C, known as “Nurse Alice,” is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist with more than 25 years of experience in cardiovascular, critical care, and emergency nursing. She is an NBC Los Angeles medical contributor and host of the Ask Nurse Alice podcast.