Surveyed nurses report widespread burnout, urge system-wide reform

Editor's Note

Nurses continue to face high stress, burnout, and understaffing, according to the State of Nursing in 2025 report by Cross Country Healthcare and FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing.

As detailed in an April 29 summary from Florida Atlantic University, the report is based on responses from 2,600 nurses and students. Of that total, 65% report high levels of stress and burnout. Just 60% say they would choose nursing again if given the chance. Top sources of stress include chronic understaffing, inadequate compensation, insufficient leadership support, and patient abuse. Even among nursing students, 67% express concern about managing future workloads.

While experienced nurses show signs of exhaustion and frustration, 82% of students still report feeling excited about entering the profession, the press release notes. This divide underscores what FAU Dean Cameron Duncan describes in the press release as a “troubling paradox: ” optimism among newcomers contrasted with growing disillusionment among veteran staff.

As detailed in the announcement, the report identifies five priorities for healthcare leaders to stabilize the profession: increase staffing and maintain safe ratios; offer competitive pay and long-term retention incentives; improve work-life balance through flexible scheduling and mental health supports; foster empathetic leadership; and streamline credentialing processes to reduce administrative delays. The report also calls on hospital executives, nurse educators, and policymakers to take coordinated action, warning that continued inaction could drive further attrition and jeopardize patient care.