Nearly half of nurse practitioners report feeling burned out and 1 in 6 report having both burnout and depression, according to an Aug. 11 Medscape report.
Medscape’s “When Caring Costs Too Much: Medscape Nurse Practitioner Burnout & Depression Report 2026” surveyed 770 nurse practitioners from Jan. 26 to May 5.
Here is what to know about the current state of burnout among NPs:
1. More than 1 in 2 NPs reported experiencing burnout, depression, or both.
2. Men were more likely than women to attribute most of their burnout to work (64% versus 53%), and only 1% of women said their burnout was unrelated to job stress.
3. Among participants, 41% said they have not sought professional care in the past or intend to seek professional help now, compared to 22% who are currently seeking help.
4. Nurse practitioners said the top five improvements that could reduce burnout are increased compensation to avoid financial stress (52%), more manageable work schedule (42%), lighter patient load (41%), greater respect from administrators, employers, colleagues or staff (35%), and more support staff (34%).
5. Only 16% of NPs said their employer sees the impact of staff burnout, and 57% said they do not.
6. For 11% of women and 28% of men, burnout is so severe that they are considering leaving medicine altogether.
7. Older NPs are considering leaving medicine altogether over burnout at 17% compared to 6% of millennial NPs.
8. Forty-five percent of NPs report having felt burned out for more than two years.
9. The work aspects contributing most to NP burnout are too many bureaucratic tasks (60%), insufficient compensation or salary (45%), too many hours to work (43%), lack of respect from employers, colleagues or staff (39%), and lack of respect from patients (25%).
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
