Battling Burnout: Why Managing Nursing Workload Is More Crucial Than Ever

About the Author:

Fabiya Ali is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing (MScN) at Aga Khan University (AKU). She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) from AKU in 2021 and now serves as a Clinical Nurse Instructor in the Department of Surgery at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH). Her academic journey and professional experience have fostered a strong passion for nursing education, clinical practice, and the advancement of healthcare standards.

        Stress in the workplace is a well-established threat to employee health, and this concern is particularly acute in healthcare environments. Hospitals today are increasingly intense settings where staff face continuous change, heavy responsibilities, and emotional demands. While the World Health Organization (WHO) promotes healthy and supportive workplaces, many healthcare professionals experience significant occupational stress (World Health Organization, 2010). Burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, ineffectiveness, and detachment from work, has become a serious concern. Studies suggest that burnout affects 50% of the global workforce. (Focken, 2024). Burnout affects nearly 70% of healthcare professionals in Pakistan’s public hospitals, highlighting a serious challenge within the system. (M Uzair Tahir et al., 2025).

        A recent conversation with a fellow nurse revealed she was responsible for caring for nine patients in a single shift. This situation was not a rare occurrence but a regular burden shared by many colleagues. Burnout has wide-reaching consequences that extend beyond individual healthcare workers. To protect staff well-being and patient safety, it’s crucial to address burnout with timely, practical solutions that create a more supportive and sustainable work environment.

        Multiple factors contribute to burnout among nurses, though the specific experiences may differ from person to person. Common stressors include emotionally charged environments, insufficient management or peer support, inadequate sleep, and an overwhelming nurse-to-patient ratio. Nurses are routinely involved in high-pressure situations, such as dealing with critical illnesses, trauma cases, and end-of-life care, all of which contribute to psychological fatigue. Burnout is more likely to occur in workplaces lacking teamwork and collaboration. When healthcare professionals don’t feel supported by their colleagues, stress builds up faster, making a strong team dynamic essential for preventing burnout. Moreover, many nurses work long hours and back-to-back shifts with minimal rest. According to Stimpfel et al. (2020), one in four nurses reported inadequate sleep between shifts, which affects performance and patient satisfaction. Gutsan et al. (2018) emphasized that a nurse-to-patient ratio exceeding one to four increases the likelihood of burnout by twenty-three percent with each additional patient. These challenges can lead to consequences, such as high turnover, reduced care quality, and increased risk of clinical errors.

        Addressing this issue requires a systemic approach. Hospital administrators should prioritize optimal staffing and scheduling. This includes aligning nursing staff numbers with patient care demands. Effective staff retention strategies, such as transparent hiring practices, continuous motivation, and performance evaluation, are essential. A practical approach is to use the Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) model to accurately assess how many nurses are needed for each shift, ensuring balanced workloads and better patient care. Additionally, motivational efforts, including verbal appreciation or thank-you notes, have been revealed to benefit nurses’ psychological well-being. Cohen et al., (2023) found that motivational practices reduce burnout and enhance workplace satisfaction. Performance appraisals that recognize staff efforts through rewards, promotions, or public acknowledgment also contribute to improved morale and engagement. Nurses themselves play an important role in preventing burnout. They should communicate openly with supervisors, advocate for balanced duty rosters, and prioritize self-care. Taking meal breaks, building support systems with colleagues, and accessing mental health resources such as counseling can be helpful. Techniques such as deep breathing, mindfulness, and journaling have also proven beneficial. Recent findings support the use of resilience training and mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques in alleviating burnout symptoms and improving mental health in nurses (Castillo-González et al., 2024; Talebiazar et al., 2025).

        In conclusion, burnout in nursing is a growing challenge that threatens Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all. Supporting nurses through healthy environments, strong leadership, and self-advocacy helps reduce burnout and boost well-being in healthcare settings. Doing so is essential not only for the health of the caregivers but also for the safety and satisfaction of the patients they serve.

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Castillo-González, A., Velando-Soriano, A., De La Fuente-Solana, E. I., Martos-Cabrera, B. M., Membrive-Jiménez, M. J., Lucía, R.-B., & Cañadas-De La Fuente, G. A. (2024). Relation and effect of resilience on burnout in nurses: A literature review and meta-analysis. International Nursing Review, 71(1), 160–167. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12838

Cohen, C., Pignata, S., Bezak, E., Tie, M., & Childs, J. (2023). Workplace interventions to improve well-being and reduce burnout for nurses, physicians and allied healthcare professionals: A systematic review. BMJ Open, 13(6), e071203. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-071203

Focken, J. (2024, February 24). Healthcare Worker Burnout Statistics. Healthcare Worker Burnout Statistics. https://jumpmd.com/research/healthcare-burnout/

Gutsan, E., Patton, J., & Willis, W. K. (2018). Burnout syndrome and nurse-to-patient ratio in the workplace.

M Uzair Tahir, Huma Nawaz, Hira Arshad, Hoor Ul Ain, Maaz Ahmed, & Ramsha Mushtaq Khan. (2025). Prevalence and Correlates of Burnout and Mental Distress among Healthcare Professionals of a Public Sector Hospital in Lahore: A Cross-sectional Study. Journal of Society of Prevention, Advocacy and Research KEMU, 3(4), 8–13. https://doi.org/10.21649/jspark.v3i4.714

Stimpfel, A. W., Fatehi, F., & Kovner, C. (2020). Nurses’ sleep, work hours, and patient care quality, and safety. Sleep Health, 6(3), 314–320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2019.11.001

Talebiazar, N., Anzali, B. C., Abbasi, M., Azizi, N., Goli, R., Faraji, N., Bagheri, M., Amiri, N., & Kazemi, S. (2025). Does mindfulness-based stress reduction training have an impact on the occupational burnout and stress experienced by nurses? A randomized controlled trial. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 98(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-024-02078-8

World Health Organization. (2010). Healthy workplaces: A model for action: for employers, workers, policy-makers and practitioners. Ambientes de Trabajo Saludables: Un Modelo Para La Acción: Para Empleadores, Trabajadores, Autoridades Normativas y Profesionales, 32.

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