Life After Burnout: A Nurse’s Journey to Healing
Burnout nearly ended my nursing career. For years, I lived in survival mode — until I realized I couldn’t keep going the way I was. This is my story of how I found healing, and how you can too.
Grateful, But Exhausted
First, let me say this: I am beyond grateful for my nursing career — for where it’s taken me, the people I’ve met, and how much it’s forced me to grow as a human being.
I spent 14 years building my bedside career, working at some of the top Children’s Hospitals in the nation. I’m proud of what I was able to see, do, and accomplish during that time. I was good at my job — really good — until one day, I just wasn’t anymore.
When Work Becomes Your Identity
For most of my career, work was my entire life and identity. I thrived on the adrenaline of the ICU and critical care. I was a trauma junkie who loved the chaos, the intensity, the high-stakes decisions.
But my body and mind didn’t love it. My nervous system was constantly on overdrive, though I didn’t recognize it at the time. Nursing wasn’t just my career — it became who I was. So when I finally had to face the question of who I am outside of being a nurse, it shook me to my core. My ego didn’t like it one bit.
Stepping Away from the Bedside
About three years ago, I made the decision to leave the bedside. COVID was the final straw, but truthfully, I had already reached my limit many years before that. I couldn’t see a future in management, and I didn’t want to pursue a master’s degree. I knew stepping away was the best decision for me.
And here’s the important part: only you can know if it’s the right move for you.
Learning to Breathe Again
It took me over a year after leaving to truly feel myself start to recover. For the first time in my career, I wasn’t being micromanaged. My new boss trusted me, reassured me, and gave me space to simply do my work. At first, I didn’t even know how to handle it — I had to retrain my brain to accept calm instead of constant pressure.
Slowly, I began to build healthier routines. I created a life where my career is now just part of me, not my entire identity. I’ve learned how to live more grounded, balanced, and calm — something I didn’t think was possible when I was deep in burnout.
The Takeaway
Burnout doesn’t have to be the end of your story. It can be the beginning of a new chapter — one where you’re healthier, happier, and more whole. If you’re a nurse reading this and you see yourself in my story, know this: you’re not alone, and healing is possible.
I’d love to help you do the same for yourself. Whether that’s leaving your job, staying in it, or transitioning to a new position.
Healing from burnout doesn’t happen overnight, but it is possible. You deserve to feel balanced, joyful, and whole — both in and out of scrubs.
If you’re ready to start your own journey, let’s talk.
