Thinking about leaving nursing because of stress or burnout?
The demands of nursing have always been great. Increasingly, however, Australian nurses are feeling overwhelmed by their work. A big question is being asked by many of them:
Do I still want to be a nurse?
The long hours, inadequate staffing numbers, heavy workloads, inflexible rosters and high emotional demands placed on nurses also impact their ability to remain in the profession.
And it seems from the latest research that many more are experiencing it than ever before.
Burnout is becoming a workforce problem
Research conducted by the Australian Government on the Australian nursing workforce found 56% of nurses experience burnout on a monthly basis or more, and 17% on a weekly basis or more.
A further 46% of the Australian nurses surveyed were reported to regularly experience stress at work, while 23% stated they were stressed every day at work.
The impact of chronic stress on nurses working in hospital settings has been explored in another Australian study. This study involved nurses from six states of Australia. The key results of this study are shown below:
68.6% experienced high emotional exhaustion
38.8% had high intentions to leave the nursing profession
Importantly, emotional exhaustion was the strongest burnout-related predictor of nurses’ intentions to leave the profession.
There are many experienced and very caring nurses currently working in the healthcare system who are exhausted by the environment of their work but still love their patients.
Why are nurses thinking about leaving?
In 2025, a South Australian Nursing & Midwifery Workforce Climate Survey reported 57.5% of the 982 responding staff were planning to leave their current workplace within five years.
Of those intending to leave their current job within five years, the reasons for leaving included:
When ranking factors that may retain nurses at work, survey respondents listed reduced workloads, better workplace support, flexible scheduling and benefits.
Research conducted by the Australian Government into the National Nursing Workforce Strategy also highlighted unsustainable workloads, burnout, administrative burden and lack of flexibility as key concerns of the workforce.
Note, though, that the problem with your job doesn’t have to mean the problem is with nursing!
This is an important distinction.
Nursing, as a profession, may be offering less to current and potential nurses than it did in the past. However, that does not necessarily mean that the entire profession needs to cease to exist – it is possible that current ways of working within nursing are not suitable for many nurses.
It may be the way you're currently working.
Alternatively, a different workplace, roster, location, specialty or way of working may provide the experience that an individual is seeking.
Interestingly, the 2025 South Australian survey found that 49.3% of the 347 respondents surveyed wanted to work in a new area some or all of the time.
For the more experienced nurse, it may mean returning to the workforce on a contract basis as a Travel Nurse prior to leaving the profession altogether.
Could Travel Nursing offer the change you need?
Travel Nursing won’t solve all the problems or realities of nursing, and it’s not the solution for everyone.
However, for experienced nurses, it can offer a different way to structure their nursing careers.
Instead of being locked into another workplace indefinitely, you can work in healthcare for the periods of time that suit you best, experience other healthcare services and work in different locations. Meet and work with new staff and gain the opportunity to develop and grow in new and exciting ways.
Depending on the contract, opportunities may also include:
Travel from Hobart and Canberra to work in Darwin, Alice Springs and remote communities across Australia.
A change of scenery can also be a change of perspective
Sometimes a change of scenery can remind you why you were drawn to nursing in the first place.
For example, you can experience a different clinical environment, meet new people, get to know a new team of people and even learn about new systems and processes within different parts of Australia.
You can then choose what you want to do next when the contract has ended.
For example, another contract, time off work, moving to another location, returning to permanent work or a completely different field of work.
Experienced nurses looking for a change of pace and seeking to utilise their years of expertise in new ways will appreciate the flexibility on offer.
Australia needs experienced nurses
Retaining nurses is a growing priority for Australia’s healthcare systems.
Research conducted by the Australian Government has established that approximately 25–35% of nurses in Australia intend to leave the profession. However, the loss of experienced and skilled nurses from the workforce is not without consequence to remaining staff.
Recent intelligence produced by the Australian Government to forecast future health workforce requirements has noted increasing instances of burnout and stress in the healthcare workplace.
Need a change but don’t want to leave the profession altogether? Considering other options could be just what you need to get back to enjoying your time as a nurse.
Before you leave nursing, explore where nursing could take you.
- Just because you can’t do nursing anymore doesn’t mean you have to stop being a nurse.
- Maybe you need a different roster.
- Maybe you need a different workplace.
- Maybe nursing can take you somewhere new instead.
At CC Medical, we can look after experienced nurses wishing to return to contract work or look at Travel Nursing opportunities in locations all around Australia.
Thinking about Travel Nursing?
💬 WhatsApp or Text "TRAVEL" to +61 434 377 068 to receive your FREE Travel Nurse Information Kit and discover where travel nursing could take you next.
