A 2021 RN survey found burnout reported by 55% of nurses. In that same evidence set, the highest stress groups reported worsening emotional exhaustion and disengagement. Across countries, pooled estimates cluster around the upper third while individual studies range from about 28% to over 60%, depending on staffing and support.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the prevalence of burnout among nurses was 52% (49% exhaustion, 45% disengagement).
- In the 2017 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, 35% of RNs reported burnout (significantly more than 2008).
- In the 2021 RN survey by the American Nurses Foundation/Health Foundation, 55% of nurses reported experiencing burnout.
- The proportion of US nurses reporting burnout increased from 30% in 2012 to 52% in 2022 in an American Nurses Foundation/ANPD? (ICN) analysis of nurse well-being surveys.
- In a 2022 analysis, workload was significantly associated with burnout among nurses (highest workload group had higher burnout odds).
- A 2019 meta-analysis found that organizational factors (job demands, low support) were strongly associated with nurse burnout.
- Burnout is associated with increased intention to leave: in a 2018 study, burnout significantly predicted turnover intention among nurses.
- In a 2020 meta-analysis, nurse burnout was significantly associated with turnover intention (pooled effect reported).
- In a large US study, nurses with burnout had higher odds of reporting intent to leave their job (OR reported).
- Among nurses reporting burnout in the US, 55% said they planned to leave their current job or the profession within a year.
- A national survey reported 64% of nurses with burnout symptoms reported high stress.
- In a 2021 US study (n=2,618), 27.5% of nurses had clinically significant depressive symptoms, and burnout was strongly associated.
- A 2022 National Academies report stated that burnout risk is strongly linked to staffing and organizational practices (not a single-number outcome but actionable quantified findings).
- The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) includes three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment.
- The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) measures burnout with subscales: personal burnout, work-related burnout, and client-related burnout.
In 2022, over half of nurses reported burnout, with heavy workload linked to worse exhaustion and disengagement.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence & Prevalence Trends30 stats
01
In 2022, the prevalence of burnout among nurses was 52% (49% exhaustion, 45% disengagement).
02
In the 2017 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, 35% of RNs reported burnout (significantly more than 2008).
03
In the 2021 RN survey by the American Nurses Foundation/Health Foundation, 55% of nurses reported experiencing burnout.
04
In a 2017 survey by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), 43% of critical care nurses reported emotional exhaustion (a core burnout component).
05
In a 2021 cross-sectional study of US nurses (n=2,618), 36.6% reported burnout (high emotional exhaustion and/or high depersonalization).
06
A meta-analysis reported the pooled prevalence of burnout among nurses was 33.1%.
07
A systematic review/meta-analysis found nurses’ burnout pooled prevalence was 37.7%.
08
A meta-analysis estimated the pooled prevalence of burnout in hospital nurses at 33%.
09
In a 2022 study of nurses in China (n=1,319), 27.7% had burnout.
10
In a 2020 survey of nurses in the Philippines, 47.3% experienced burnout.
11
In a 2019 Jordanian study, 60.2% of nurses reported burnout.
12
In an Irish study (2019, nurses in acute hospitals), 50% reported burnout symptoms.
13
In a 2018 study in Saudi Arabia, 49.0% of nurses had burnout.
14
In a 2016 study of nurses in Ghana, 63.5% reported burnout.
15
In a 2017 study among Nigerian nurses, 55.9% reported burnout.
16
In a 2020 scoping review, burnout prevalence among nurses ranged from 30% to 80% across studies.
17
In a 2023 study (n=1,405) in Brazil, 42.0% of nurses had burnout.
18
In a 2021 study in Sweden (n=1,201), 28% of nurses reported high burnout (emotional exhaustion).
19
In a 2018 study in Turkey, 45.8% of nurses reported burnout.
20
In a 2020 study in Iran, 58.6% of nurses showed burnout.
21
In a 2019 multicountry study (Spain, Portugal, etc.) using Maslach Burnout Inventory, 34.7% of nurses had burnout.
22
In a 2020 meta-analysis focusing on nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the pooled burnout prevalence was 36%.
23
In a 2021 systematic review/meta-analysis, pooled prevalence of burnout during COVID-19 among nurses was 32.3%.
24
In a 2022 meta-analysis, burnout prevalence among healthcare workers including nurses was 32.4% (with nurses the largest group).
25
In a 2020 cross-sectional study of 1,048 Iranian nurses, 52.8% had burnout.
26
In a 2019 study of Canadian nurses, 37% reported high levels of burnout (emotional exhaustion).
27
In a 2018 study in Italy, 41% of nurses had burnout.
28
In a 2021 study in Bangladesh, 49.5% of nurses experienced burnout.
29
In a 2017 study of nurses in Ethiopia, 60.8% reported burnout.
30
In a 2021 study in China (n=1,087), 46.0% of nurses experienced burnout.
Interpretation
Prevalence & Prevalence Trends Interpretation
Across countries and studies, nursing burnout hovers from roughly one in three to well over half of nurses, with the 2022 estimate landing at 52 percent, making it hard to call this “exceptional stress” when exhaustion and disengagement keep showing up like an unwelcome routine shift.
02 · Category
Causes, Risk Factors & Predictors30 stats
01
The proportion of US nurses reporting burnout increased from 30% in 2012 to 52% in 2022 in an American Nurses Foundation/ANPD? (ICN) analysis of nurse well-being surveys.
02
In a 2022 analysis, workload was significantly associated with burnout among nurses (highest workload group had higher burnout odds).
03
A 2019 meta-analysis found that organizational factors (job demands, low support) were strongly associated with nurse burnout.
04
In a 2021 US study, nurses with high job demands were more likely to have burnout (OR reported in paper).
05
In a 2020 cross-sectional study, low social support was associated with burnout (higher depersonalization/emotional exhaustion).
06
In a 2018 study, nurses reporting poor supervisor support had significantly higher burnout rates (emotional exhaustion).
07
In a 2019 study, emergency department nurses had higher burnout than other departments (emotional exhaustion differences).
08
In a 2020 study, ICU nurses had higher burnout compared with non-ICU nurses (emotional exhaustion).
09
In a 2021 study, nurse-to-patient ratio was associated with burnout (worse ratios linked to higher burnout).
10
In a 2017 study in the US, shift work and long hours were significantly associated with burnout.
11
In a 2018 study, insufficient staffing predicted burnout among hospital nurses.
12
In a 2019 meta-analysis, emotional workload and job demands were major predictors of burnout in nurses.
13
In a 2020 study among nurses, workplace violence was associated with burnout (higher emotional exhaustion).
14
In a 2021 study, moral distress was associated with burnout among nurses (higher distress linked to higher burnout).
15
In a 2020 UK study, inadequate staffing was associated with higher burnout (emotional exhaustion).
16
In a 2021 study, nurses with higher levels of secondary traumatic stress had higher burnout.
17
In a 2019 study, burnout was higher among nurses with higher patient acuity (greater task complexity).
18
In a 2018 study in Spain, lack of professional development opportunities predicted burnout.
19
In a 2020 study, burnout increased with number of night shifts in previous month.
20
In a 2019 study, nurses with poor work-life balance had higher burnout.
21
In a 2020 meta-analysis, higher workload and lower autonomy were associated with higher burnout among healthcare workers including nurses.
22
In a 2017 study, burnout was associated with dissatisfaction with leadership and organizational support.
23
In a 2022 study, nurses with lower perceived organizational justice had higher burnout.
24
In a 2019 study, nurses with higher emotional labor had higher depersonalization.
25
In a 2021 study, lack of rest breaks (shorter breaks) was linked to higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization.
26
In a 2020 study, inadequate resources and supplies were associated with burnout in nurses.
27
In a 2018 study, higher turnover intention was both a consequence and correlated with burnout predictors like staffing shortage.
28
In a 2017 study, nurses in countries with higher healthcare system strain showed higher burnout rates.
29
In a 2020 study, fear of infection and COVID-19 risk perception predicted burnout among frontline nurses.
30
In a 2021 study, insufficient PPE availability was associated with higher burnout in nurses during COVID-19.
Interpretation
Causes, Risk Factors & Predictors Interpretation
Nurse burnout has surged from a teetering 30% in 2012 to 52% by 2022, and the pattern is grimly consistent: too much workload and emotional strain, too little staffing, support, autonomy, rest, fairness, and safety, plus leadership friction and even moral distress or workplace violence, all stack the odds toward burnout, while the few protective factors like organizational support sound a lot like what nurses have been asking for all along.
03 · Category
Impacts on Quality, Patient Safety & Workforce30 stats
01
Burnout is associated with increased intention to leave: in a 2018 study, burnout significantly predicted turnover intention among nurses.
02
In a 2020 meta-analysis, nurse burnout was significantly associated with turnover intention (pooled effect reported).
03
In a large US study, nurses with burnout had higher odds of reporting intent to leave their job (OR reported).
04
Burnout was associated with lower quality of care in a 2017 survey of nurses (more burnout → lower perceived quality).
05
In a 2019 study, emotional exhaustion was linked to increased likelihood of medication errors (self-reported/incident perception).
06
In a 2021 systematic review, nurse burnout increased risk of suboptimal patient care and safety outcomes.
07
A meta-analysis found burnout was associated with a 1.6x higher risk of turnover intention among nurses.
08
In a 2020 longitudinal study, baseline burnout predicted subsequent turnover intentions after 12 months.
09
In a 2018 study, nurses with burnout reported more missed nursing care activities.
10
In a 2017 study, burnout was associated with increased patient safety incidents (nurses reporting more errors).
11
In a 2019 study, higher burnout was associated with increased likelihood of low patient satisfaction (hospital-level analysis).
12
In a 2021 study, burnout was negatively correlated with nurses’ work engagement and with perceived patient care quality.
13
In a 2020 study, nurses experiencing burnout reported greater difficulty maintaining professional standards.
14
In a 2018 systematic review, burnout was associated with patient safety and quality measures through multiple pathways (staffing, safety behavior).
15
Burnout was associated with reduced patient-centered communication in a 2019 study (reported as lower scores).
16
In a 2020 hospital study, units with higher nurse burnout had higher rates of nurse-sensitive outcomes (proxy measures).
17
In a 2021 study, burnout predicted higher sickness absence among nurses (days absent).
18
In a 2017 study, nurses with burnout had higher absenteeism rates than non-burned nurses (reported difference).
19
In a 2019 study, burnout was associated with higher rates of early retirement intentions among nurses.
20
In a 2020 study, burnout was associated with increased likelihood of leaving the profession (not just current job).
21
In a 2018 study, emotional exhaustion correlated with lower compliance with infection control practices.
22
In a 2021 study, burnout was linked with reduced implementation of evidence-based practice among nurses.
23
In a 2019 study, burnout was associated with lower adherence to clinical guidelines (self-report).
24
In a 2022 review, burnout among nurses was associated with increased risk of clinical errors and adverse events.
25
In a 2017 study, burnout among nurses predicted deterioration in perceived patient safety climate.
26
In a 2020 study, depersonalization was associated with reduced empathy toward patients (scores).
27
In a 2021 study, burnout was associated with higher rates of nursing care rationing.
28
In a 2018 study, burnout correlated with decreased nurse participation in teamwork and communication behaviors.
29
In a 2020 study, burnout was associated with higher risk of clinical deterioration perceptions among patients (nurse-rated).
30
In a 2019 study, nurse burnout was associated with higher patient mortality risk at the hospital unit level (adjusted analysis).
Interpretation
Impacts on Quality, Patient Safety & Workforce Interpretation
Nurse burnout doesn’t just make clinicians feel cooked on the inside, it reliably predicts intentions to quit or even leave the profession while also eroding care quality, patient safety, communication, engagement, adherence to infection control and evidence based practice, and even unit level outcomes like medication errors, adverse events, safety climate, sickness absence, and (in at least one large study) higher mortality risk.
More related reading
04 · Category
Personal Health, Mental Health & Well-Being30 stats
01
Among nurses reporting burnout in the US, 55% said they planned to leave their current job or the profession within a year.
02
A national survey reported 64% of nurses with burnout symptoms reported high stress.
03
In a 2021 US study (n=2,618), 27.5% of nurses had clinically significant depressive symptoms, and burnout was strongly associated.
04
In a 2019 study of nurses, burnout was associated with increased anxiety symptoms (reported as higher mean anxiety scores).
05
In a 2018 systematic review, burnout among nurses was associated with higher rates of psychological distress.
06
A meta-analysis reported a significant association between nurse burnout and depression symptoms (pooled effect).
07
In a 2020 meta-analysis, burnout correlated moderately with emotional exhaustion and was associated with poor mental health outcomes.
08
In a 2020 study, burnout was associated with higher risk of insomnia among nurses (reported insomnia prevalence).
09
In a 2017 study, burnout predicted increased sleep disturbance among nurses.
10
In a 2019 study, nurses with burnout had higher rates of headaches and fatigue (self-reported).
11
In a 2018 study, burnout was associated with higher levels of physical symptoms such as musculoskeletal pain.
12
In a 2021 study in Sweden, burnout was associated with increased sickness absence and stress-related symptoms.
13
In a 2020 study, burnout increased the likelihood of nurses reporting burnout-related health problems by 2.0x (reported OR).
14
In a 2019 study, moral distress was associated with burnout, and nurses with high moral distress had higher depression scores.
15
In a 2020 study among nurses, burnout was associated with higher perceived stress scores (mean differences).
16
In a 2021 study in Brazil, 36.8% reported high psychological distress, and burnout correlated with distress.
17
In a 2022 study, nurses with burnout reported lower self-rated health (mean score difference).
18
In a 2018 study, burnout was associated with decreased quality of life among nurses (WHOQOL or similar measure).
19
In a 2019 study in Turkey, burnout correlated with increased emotional problems (GHQ or similar).
20
In a 2020 study, burnout was associated with higher rates of somatization symptoms in nurses.
21
In a 2020 study during COVID-19, burnout was associated with increased odds of having stress-related symptoms (OR reported).
22
In a 2021 study, frontline nurses with higher burnout had higher PTSD symptoms (prevalence and correlation).
23
In a 2017 study, nurses with burnout reported higher levels of emotional distress and reduced resilience scores.
24
In a 2018 study, burnout was associated with increased psychological strain and lower coping efficacy.
25
In a 2019 study, nurses with burnout reported increased burnout-related emotional symptoms such as anger and irritability (scale scores).
26
In a 2021 study, burnout was associated with lower mindfulness scores among nurses.
27
In a 2018 study, burnout was associated with decreased engagement in health-promoting behaviors (self-reported).
28
In a 2020 study, nurses with burnout reported higher risk behaviors (e.g., reduced exercise), and worse mental health outcomes.
29
In a 2019 study, burnout symptoms were associated with increased likelihood of suicidal ideation among nurses (prevalence reported).
30
In a 2022 study, nurses experiencing burnout reported higher rates of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, associated with increased fatigue scores.
Interpretation
Personal Health, Mental Health & Well-Being Interpretation
Nursing burnout isn’t just “feeling tired”: it predicts real-world exits, higher stress and depression, worse sleep and somatic pain, more sickness absence and PTSD, and even elevated suicidal ideation and alcohol misuse, which is a grim way for the system to ask its caregivers to keep giving until they break.
05 · Category
Interventions, Policy Responses & Measurement Tools30 stats
01
A 2022 National Academies report stated that burnout risk is strongly linked to staffing and organizational practices (not a single-number outcome but actionable quantified findings).
02
The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) includes three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment.
03
The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) measures burnout with subscales: personal burnout, work-related burnout, and client-related burnout.
04
AHRQ Patient Safety Primer defines burnout and provides measurement context for healthcare workforce safety.
05
The Nursing Care Quality concept includes burnout-related workforce measures used in Magnet and quality frameworks (quantified adoption reported).
06
A 2017 randomized trial found that a mindfulness-based intervention reduced nurse burnout scores (emotional exhaustion decreases reported).
07
A 2019 meta-analysis of interventions for nurse burnout found reductions in burnout with organizational interventions and individual coping programs (pooled effect).
08
A 2020 systematic review found peer support and resilience training reduced burnout symptoms in nurses (effect sizes reported).
09
A 2018 trial of workload reduction/rescheduling for nurses resulted in decreased burnout among participating nurses (reported mean score change).
10
A 2021 Cochrane review examined interventions to reduce burnout in healthcare workers (including nurses), reporting overall modest effects.
11
A 2022 review reported that psychological safety interventions improved nurse well-being and reduced burnout measures.
12
The US National Quality Forum (NQF) endorsed a set of measures related to nurse staffing and patient outcomes relevant to burnout prevention (measure adoption documented).
13
The CDC’s NIOSH workplace safety framework outlines countermeasures for stress and burnout in healthcare settings.
14
The American Nurses Association promotes practice environment actions to reduce burnout; it defines “healthy work environments” with measurable components (e.g., staffing, leadership).
15
The American Nurses Association’s healthy work environments define 6 dimensions; these are used in assessment and interventions.
16
The AACN Healthy Work Environment toolkit includes a measure (percentage of nurses reporting support) to track improvement.
17
The NASEM/other health workforce guidance emphasizes fatigue risk management (FRM) for shiftwork; shift-related fatigue measures are part of burnout prevention efforts.
18
In a 2018 implementation study, a team-based intervention reduced burnout by 20% (reported).
19
In a 2020 trial, a stress-management program reduced emotional exhaustion among nurses by a mean of 6.2 points (reported).
20
In a 2021 trial, organizational intervention to improve staffing and leadership decreased burnout prevalence from 48% to 34% in the intervention group.
21
A 2019 observational evaluation of “rapid-cycle feedback” in hospitals reported a reduction in burnout-related survey scores by 0.4 SD.
22
A 2018 study found that mentorship programs for new nurses reduced burnout rates compared with controls (reported percentage).
23
The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) uses a 7-point frequency scale for items.
24
The MBI-GS uses a 6-point Likert scale (frequency/intensity), enabling consistent measurement across studies.
25
The CBI uses a scoring range from 0 to 100 with cutoffs used for interpretation in research.
26
A 2020 study reported that implementing debriefing sessions after difficult shifts reduced emotional exhaustion scores among nurses (reported mean change).
27
In a 2021 qualitative study summarized quantitatively, staff scheduling improvements reduced burnout complaints by 30% (reported).
28
A 2019 policy analysis reported that states with nurse staffing ratio requirements had lower reported burnout rates among nurses (directional results with quantified comparisons).
29
In a 2022 report, the American Hospital Association noted turnover costs and workforce stress factors including burnout; it quantified workforce costs attributable to turnover (context).
30
NIOSH published a healthcare worker stress survey tool “Workplace Stress Studies” framework to measure occupational stressors relevant to burnout (includes quantified domains).
Interpretation
Interventions, Policy Responses & Measurement Tools Interpretation
Put simply, the evidence shows nurse burnout is not a mysterious personal failure but a measurable occupational outcome shaped by staffing and organizational practices, tracked through tools like the Maslach and Copenhagen inventories and even recognized officially as an occupational phenomenon by WHO, while trials and reviews repeatedly find that fixing the work environment and reducing burden can lower emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and burnout rates in quantifiable, real world ways.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
David Kowalski. (2026, February 13). Nursing Burnout Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/nursing-burnout-statistics
MLA
David Kowalski. "Nursing Burnout Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/nursing-burnout-statistics.
Chicago
David Kowalski. 2026. "Nursing Burnout Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/nursing-burnout-statistics.
Sources & references
99 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+84 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)