Why experienced nurses are leaving — and what could bring them back

(Aging Untold) — The emotional weight of nursing can be immense, but burnout is not caused by one factor alone. Workload, staffing shortages, safety concerns, documentation demands and the loss of meaningful connection with patients are all pushing experienced nurses away from the bedside. The Aging Untold experts are exploring what nurses are facing — and what hospitals and health care systems could do to help them stay in a field they entered to care for people. Nursing has become more demanding — and less personal For many nurses, the pressure begins with the number of patients they are expected to care for. When staffing does not keep pace with demand, nurses can feel overwhelmed before they have a chance to provide the personal care that drew them to the profession, the Aging Untold experts say. “There’s no way you can have adequate care when you have this short staff and you’re not replenishing that. It’s so easy to get burnout,” Dr. Rhea Rogers, a board-certified physician, said