Nursing Burnout Statistics By Country And Demographics
Updated · Dec 26, 2024
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Introduction
Nursing Burnout Statistics: Burnout among nurses globally is a major problem for every healthcare sector. It results in an actual lack of strength and emotional and psychological exhaustion for nurses who work for a long period under stress and overwork.
It is detrimental not only to their social well-being but also to the quality of patient care and the efficiency of the overall health system. This article will show statistics on nursing burnout and its causes.
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- According to nursing burnout statistics, In the United States, approximately 2.7 million nurses have been observed to suffer burnout from work.
- Of the worldwide statistics, the 60% burn-out rate belongs to nurses in Belgium, while Uganda has a 40% burn-out rate.
- Of the mentioned conditions, the percentage values for female-individualized burnout were 2, while for the male, one value was 18.8.
- Therefore, almost all countries in the world exhibit a significant disparity in the number of practicing nurses per 1,000 inhabitants. Finland occupies the very first space with 18.9 nurses for every 1,000 individuals.
- Nursing burnout statistics reveal that in China, 5% of nurses were thought to have suicidal ideations; in Australia, 17% went to seek professional help for mental health challenges.
- The age category of nurses from 26 to 30 years had the maximum rate of burnout, with 6% of the group suffering from severe burnout.
- The main cause of burnout is understaffed, affecting 80.19% of all nurses.
- Nursing burnout statistics state that 46% of nurses in the U.S. intolerably found themselves in ethical dilemmas, while a further 22% have been victims of physical assaults by patients or their families.
- Future estimates indicate that 13 million nurses will be falling short globally, essentially due to burnout, by 2030.
- Burnout also greatly contributes to nurse turnover, standing at 27.1%. According to estimates, the turnover of every 1% of nurse employees costs hospitals around US$262,300 in losses yearly.
Number Of Practicing Nurses Worldwide By Country
(Reference: statista.com)
- Nursing burnout statistics reveal that at the end of the year 2021, the number of practicing nurses per 1,000 inhabitants differs greatly for almost all countries.
- In fact, Finland occupies the very top position, with 18.9 nurses per 1,000 people. Right behind them are Switzerland and Norway, each boasting 18 nurses per 1,000 people.
- Iceland has 15 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants, while both Australia and Ireland report 13. In the case of Japan, Germany, and the United States, the numbers are 12.1, 12, and 12 nurses, respectively, per 1,000 inhabitants.
- Next comes Luxembourg with 11.7, the Netherlands with 11.4, Belgium with 11.1, and New Zealand with 10.9. Sweden, Austria, and Slovenia each have 10.7, 10.6, and 10.5 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants, respectively, while Canada and Denmark have 10.3 and 10.2 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants.
- France has 9.7 for every 1,000 people, just above the OECD37 average of 9.2 per 1,000. The Czech Republic gives 9, Korea 8.8, and the UK 8.7.
- These are again followed by Lithuania, Portugal, and Estonia, with 7.9, 7.4, and 6.5 per 1,000 inhabitants, in that order.
- Meanwhile, Spain and Italy barely crossed paths with numbers of 6.3 and 6.2, while the Slovak Republic and Poland each had 5.7.
- For their part, Israel and Hungary account for 5.4 and 5.3 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants, respectively. Latvia and Bulgaria, in turn, reported similar figures of 4.2. Greece, 3.8; Chile, 3.7; Mexico, 2.9.
Medical Department Burnout Statistics
| Medical Department | Rate of Burnout |
| Plastic Surgery | 23% |
| Dermatology | 32% |
| Pathology | 32% |
| Ophthalmology | 33% |
| Orthopaedics | 34% |
| Diabetes & Endocrinology | 35% |
| Public Health & Preventive Medicine | 36% |
| Psychiatry | 36% |
| Rheumatology | 38% |
| Anaesthesiology | 38% |
| Gastroenterology | 38% |
| Oncology | 39% |
| Nephrology | 40% |
| Infectious Diseases | 40% |
| Paediatrics | 41% |
| Pulmonary Medicine | 41% |
| Otolaryngology | 42% |
| Cardiology | 43% |
| General Surgery | 43% |
| Allergy & Immunology | 44% |
| Urology | 44% |
| Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | 44% |
| Radiology | 45% |
| Emergency Medicine | 45% |
| Internal Medicine | 46% |
| Ob/GYN | 46% |
| Family Medicine | 47% |
| Neurology | 48% |
| Critical Care | 48% |
(Source: coolest-gadgets.com)
- Nursing burnout statistics reveal the burnout percentages among the various doctors, including plastic surgery, which has the lowest percentage of burnout at 23%, followed by dermatology and pathology at 32%.
- These two rates are closely followed by the percentages for ophthalmology and orthopedics, which are 33% and 34%, respectively, with the health professionals dealing with diabetes and endocrinology having a burnout value of 35%.
- Public health and psychiatry also have a value of 36%, showing a very high mental and emotional toll on healthcare professionals.
- Those in rheumatology, anaesthesiology, and gastroenterology have the same percentage of burnout, which is 38%, while oncology and nephrology have a rate of 39% and 40%, respectively.
- Infectious diseases and pediatrics also show the same 40%, and then pulmonary medicine and otolaryngology at 41% and 42%, respectively.
- Cardiology and general surgery are common, with 43% burnout, as well as allergy and, immunology and urology.
- Some specialties like physical medicine and rehabilitation also have 44% burnout, while radiology and emergency medicine professionals experience 45% burnout. Internal medicine and obstetrics/gynecology have the same value of 46%, although family medicine is slightly above this average at 47%.
- Neurology and critical care are at the top – 48% – of those most affected by burnout. This shows how much pressure and demand these specialties have from their patients or work.
- From these categories, therefore, the symptoms of burnout differ among the types, with some more seriously burned than others.
Reasons Nurse Quit
(Reference: zippia.com)
- Nursing burnout statistics state that overwork is one of the major reasons leading to turnover among nurses, with 27% of them quoted as the main reason given for quitting.
- After that, about 16% leave because they no longer enjoy their jobs, whereas excess paperwork is to be blamed by 15% of those leaving the practice.
- Burnout among nurses is significantly caused by excessive administrative burdens, with 79% pointing to other added duties and responsibilities as contributing factors.
- Out of 69% who said they suffer from burnout mainly due to not having enough staff, almost 54% mention conflicts with coworkers within their services as a major cause.
- Professional growth opportunities account for this further, with about 57% of them saying that lack of development opportunities also contributes to their burnout.
- Also, about 63% of nurses believe that workplace culture significantly affects levels of burnout.
Reasons For Nursing Burnout Statistics
(Reference: zippia.com)
- Recent nursing burnout statistics indicate that nurses experience burnout as a result of various factors from their working environment.
- The reasons aligned with the majority are poor staffing levels reported by 80.19% of the nurses, which would always be the cause of extra pressure and longer working hours.
- Emotional exhaustion takes the number two position in terms of contributory causes, as it affects 76.41% of nurses who are most often thrust into a situation involving high stress and emotional turmoil regarding dealing with patient care.
- For 75.73% of nurses, high workload demands were secondary characteristics that forced them to face burnout, as this left them feeling drained and stretched far beyond their limits.
- What is more, workplace culture can also bring into play 66.41% of respondents, including the lack of support and a non-collaborative environment among the issues concerned.
- Weighty numbers that refer to 59.32% also cite a lack of respect in their roles, resulting in a feeling of undervaluation and frustration.
- Physical exhaustion, besides the main aspect, is experienced by 55.73% of nurses due to the rigors of most jobs and physical demands.
- Pay and benefits are the entry here in the record of reasons given by 38.35% as insufficient, describing disappointment regarding this issue and an additional reason for financial worry.
- The number of nurses who think that the effects of patient care during the times of COVID-19 will stay in their minds is 38.16%, as they dealt with the problems that the prevailing pandemic brought.
- Finally, 34.47% of the nurses mentioned that they wouldn’t be able to recharge and rest because so many interruptions took place during breaks.
- Verbal abuse and bullying struck 31.65% of nurses, creating a rather hostile working environment and heating up the already kindled feelings of burnout in those joining the profession.
- So, it is because of all these indicators that the issue of burnout remains a relevant challenge for the nursing profession.
Nursing Burnout Demographics
| Age Group | % of Burned Out Nurses |
| 20 or less | 42.9% |
| 20-30 | 33.9% |
| 31-40 | 73.0% |
| 41-50 | 16.8% |
| 50-60 | 67.0% |
| 60+ | 51.0% |
(Source: jobera.com)
- Nursing burnout statistics indicate that burnout among nurses varies widely among different age cohorts, as diverse challenges influence all career stages.
- Nurses in the age group of 20 and below only have a burnout rate of 42.9%. The stress brought about by joining a profession perceived as demanding unless they have had sufficient training for it could explain it.
- It reduces to 33.9% for the age group 20 to 30, probably the transition into high demands during formative years on the job. The greatest burnout rate is 73% for those aged 31-40.
- In this age group, therefore, the combination of career steel and personal responsibilities, such as family and childcare, would seem to generate a great deal of heavyweight stress.
- For nurses aged 41-50, it is just 16.8%, which shows a significantly lower burnout rate, indicating the assistance of experience and entrenched routines in managing and adapting to ever-changing demands in the workplace.
- For them, however, the burnout rate rises again for nurses aged 50-60 to 67%, possibly due to their increased physical exhaustion in keeping pace with a very demanding job that is mentally and physically exhausting.
- For those aged 60 and above, the rate of burnout is 51%. Hence, others work fewer hours or have less demanding jobs.
- Nonetheless, a career, however long in nursing, takes a physical and emotional toll from which burnout may emerge.
- Therefore, these different aspects point towards targeted support and interventions for age-specific challenges in various cohorts in nursing practice.
Nursing Burnout During COVID-19
(Reference: statista.com)
- Nursing burnout statistics state that a survey completed in 2021 experiencing the third wave showed that around 75% of the nurses in the country suffered from burnout based on the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) scoring.
- Their exhaustion and disengagement scores crossed the clinical thresholds.
- Furthermore, an additional 8.6% of those who were participants in the survey, or 5, were classified as clinically exhausted, while 4.6% of the sample study were clinically disengaged.
(Reference: statista.com)
- In the US, the rate of burnout among registered nurses continues to be alarmingly high in the year 2023.
- Of the surveyed nurses, more than two-thirds reported having experienced burnout regularly most days of the week, with 37% strongly agreeing and 31% somewhat agreeing, whereas only 8% disagreed.
- Workloads Canberra-caused and lower nurse staffing levels have all added to these increasing feelings. This problem is compounded by an aging nursing workforce.
- According to nursing burnout statistics, the mean age of the registered nurse (RN) is 52, meaning that many are nearing retirement age.
- As more nurses retire, the need for new nurses to fill the shortage will increase.
- The 2020 HRSA Nurse Workforce Projections report estimates a shortage of 78,610 full-time RNs by 2025 and 63,720 by 2030, with an expected fulfillment of 98% for the needs expressed.
- Meanwhile, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 6% growth of the nursing workforce over the next years, slightly higher than the actual average growth of 5% among all jobs.
- However, it is said that Nursing Burnout Statistics puts the more severe picture of shortage in that, unlike the projections above, they estimate that the number of nurses would be less from 200,000 to 450,000, which constitutes 10% to 20% of the needed workforce by 2025.
- Burnout has led to a significant proportion of nurses looking forward to leaving their positions.
- Globally, around 40% of nurses are looking to change jobs within this profession, of which close to 27% are considering changing jobs to those of travel nurses.
- In addition to that, 23% are contemplating alternative careers, and 10% are weighing the option of retiring from nursing completely.
- These data point to the necessity of establishing immediate strategies to combat these forces of burnout and retain key nursing personnel.
Conclusion
Nursing burnout statistics are of paramount importance in the year 2024 as huge percentages of nurses are exhaustively tired and considering leaving the profession. Addressing the issue would considerably help maintain a strong healthcare system and improve the quality of patient care.
FAQ.
Nursing burnout is largely attributed to several factors, which include inadequate staffing levels (80.19% for nurses), emotional exhaustion (76.41%), high work demand (75.73%), workplace culture issues (66.41%), additional physical exhaustion, wages that are perceived as insufficient, and administrative burden.
The highest percentage of nurses reporting burnout is from Belgium, with approximately 60%, and Uganda follows with about 40%. More than two-thirds of nurses regularly experience burnout at some point in their lives in the United States. Also, in Australia and China, healthcare workers confessed to significant mental health effects from working in this field.
The physical and mental aspects of nurses are affected by burnout, leading to patient care quality decline and, eventually, backfire efficiency on the healthcare system. Burnt-out nurses tend to leave the profession, creating a vacant niche and thus overworking the remaining staff, which increases the current crisis.
The massive global shortage of nurses is projected to be around 13 million by the year 2030, primarily caused by burnout. The 27.1% nurse turnover rate on account of burnout also causes the hospital to incur significant losses since each 1% increase in turnover costs about US$262,300 annually.
The rate of burnout is different depending on the age of the nurses; the peak is at the 73% level around the age bracket of 31-40, possibly because of their struggle with career and family. The next level is at age 41-50, where it drops to 16.8%, only to rise again for persons within the age range of 50-60 at 67%. For nurses at the age of 60 and above, burnout rests at 51%.
Saisuman is a professional content writer specializing in health, law, and space-related articles. Her experience includes designing featured articles for websites and newsletters, as well as conducting detailed research for medical professionals and researchers. Passionate about languages since childhood, Saisuman can read, write, and speak in five different languages. Her love for languages and reading inspired her to pursue a career in writing. Saisuman holds a Master's in Business Administration with a focus on Human Resources and has worked in a Human Resources firm for a year. She was previously associated with a French international company. In addition to writing, Saisuman enjoys traveling and singing classical songs in her leisure time.
