Burnout rates and depression rates have been high for nurse practitioners since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Medscape's 2023 "Nurse Practitioner Burnout and Depression" report.
Here are nine key notes from the annual survey:
1. Thirty-eight percent of nurse practitioners report feeling burned out, while an additional 5 percent report feeling depressed. Twenty-seven percent are both burned out and depressed.
2. About 14 percent of nurse practitioners feel so severely burnt out that they are considering leaving medicine.
3. Forty-two percent of nurse practitioners have felt burnt out for one to two years, while 27 percent have felt burnt out for over two years.
4. Fifty-nine percent of nurse practitioners have felt more burned out since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
5. Bureaucratic tasks are the top contributors of nurse practitioner burnout, with 57 percent feeling burnt out because of charting, paperwork, etc.
6. The majority of nurse practitioners (73 percent) believe their burnout has impacted their personal relationships.
7. Over half of nurse practitioners (51 percent) believe their burnout would be decreased if they had higher salaries.
8. Only 37 percent of nurse practitioners said they work in a facility that offers programs for stress and burnout. Twenty-one percent were unsure if their workplace offered such programs.
9. Thirteen percent of nurse practitioners have contemplated suicide, and 1 percent have attempted suicide.