Nursing 2025: Persistent Burnout, Stress, and Staffing Challenges Continue to Impact the Profession

The nursing profession in 2025 faces ongoing crises of burnout, stress, and chronic short staffing that threaten both nurse well-being and patient care quality nationwide. A recent comprehensive survey by Cross Country Healthcare, in collaboration with Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, reveals sobering insights into the state of nursing today.

Drawing on the voices of 2,600 nurses, including experienced RNs, LPNs, APRNs, and nursing students, the study highlights that despite the spotlight on nursing during the pandemic and promises of reform, little significant progress has been achieved. Nurses continue to grapple with high workloads, inadequate pay, insufficient leadership support, and instances of patient abuse, all contributing to elevated stress and burnout levels.

Key findings show that 65% of nurses report experiencing high stress and burnout, yet only 60% would choose nursing again if given the option. Particularly troubling is that 67% of nursing students are already concerned about managing their workload, despite the fact that 82% remain optimistic about their future in the profession. Nurses cite the need for better staffing levels, stronger leadership, flexible schedules, and meaningful recognition as top demands.

Cameron Duncan, Ph.D., dean of FAU’s College of Nursing, emphasizes the paradox: hopeful students are eager to begin their careers, while the current workforce signals distress. This disconnect underscores the necessity for decisive, coordinated action at all levels of healthcare.

To address these issues, the report suggests five priorities: building a qualified nursing pipeline with safe staffing ratios, offering competitive salaries and benefits, promoting work-life balance through flexible schedules and mental health resources, training empathetic leadership, and streamlining bureaucratic processes in credentialing.

John A. Martins, president and CEO of Cross Country Healthcare, states that these reforms are about more than perks—they're about rebuilding trust and ensuring nurses feel valued, heard, and empowered. Supporting nurses today is crucial for safeguarding tomorrow’s healthcare system.

This ongoing crisis underscores the urgent need for industry-wide efforts to implement lasting change to protect nurses and improve healthcare quality. For the full report and more details, visit crosscountry.com/beyondthebedside. Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-nursing-relief-sight-burnout-stress.html