ENOUGH About Burnout – Just Take Your Vacation Already!

By: Terri Schmitt PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, FAANP
Executive Director, NPACE

Recently, I took a vacation—not exactly newsworthy for most, but for healthcare professionals and leaders, taking a real vacation—not just a day off or a long weekend—is all too rare.

Burnout Among Advanced Practice Providers

In 2022, Medscape reported that more than 60% of nurse practitioners felt burnt out, with 30% experiencing both burnout and depression. A systematic review of physician assistants (PAs) found that over one-third met the criteria for burnout. Contributing factors include long hours, administrative burdens, charting, high patient loads, insufficient compensation, and lack of respect.

Let’s face it: burnout erodes job satisfaction. The annual turnover rate for NPs is 16.5%. In a pre-pandemic study, 10% of hospital NPs left their jobs within a year, but more than half had seriously considered leaving. Burnout affects not just hospitalists—21.9% of hematology/oncology NPs reported intentions to leave due to emotional exhaustion. In a Canadian study, NPs reporting high burnout were 17 times more likely to consider leaving their current position and 66 times more likely to contemplate leaving the profession entirely.

Vacation for the Win!

Though APP-specific research is limited, physician data offers valuable insights. In a study of over 3,000 U.S. physicians, those who took more than three weeks of vacation annually—without checking charts or email—had significantly lower burnout rates. Conversely, those who worked during vacation experienced higher burnout. Taking real time off is associated with better performance, creativity, and job satisfaction.

So why don’t we take our time off? The reasons are complex: chronic understaffing, productivity demands, seniority-based scheduling, mandatory staffing policies, fear of a bloated inbox, and simply not knowing how to prioritize our own well-being. Ironically, these are the same factors driving burnout and turnover.

It’s Up to All of Us

Yes, organizations must be held accountable—but we must also advocate for ourselves. No one else will. That means scheduling, using, and actually taking our vacation time. And encouraging our colleagues to do the same.

Organizations that prioritize employee well-being—including encouraging time off—see better retention, improved productivity, and stronger financial performance. Burnout and turnover cost the healthcare system billions annually. Providing full coverage during vacations—inboxes, clinical responsibilities, and workload—is mission-critical. Creating a culture that values time off starts with us.

Practical Advice

- Ask yourself: Are you really doing your patients, team, or organization a favor by not taking vacation?
- Take your vacation. It’s a benefit, not a luxury.
- Let go of inbox anxiety. On my last vacation, I held my mail for two weeks. Not a single message was essential. I deleted them all—and nothing fell apart.
- Block off your first day back—no meetings or patients—to catch up.
- Arrange reliable coverage for key duties before you leave.
- Curb the urge to think everything will collapse without you. No one is irreplaceable for a week or two.
- Encourage your fellow APPs to take their time, too.

References

1. Robbins, R. (2022). Medscape Nurse Practitioner Burnout and Depression Report. https://www.medscape.com/slideshow/2022-np-burnout-rpt-6015568
2. Blackstone, S., et al. (2021). Depression, burnout, and professional outcomes among PAs. JAAPA, 34(9):35–41. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.JAA.0000769676.27946.56
3. Gettle, C., et al. (2025). Workforce Attrition Among Emergency Medicine Non-Physician Practitioners. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 85(6):477–482. https://www.annemergmed.com/article/S0196-0644(24)01294-0/fulltext
4. Patel, E., et al. (2024). Drivers of hospital nurse practitioner turnover. Nursing Outlook, 72(4):102180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102180
5. Bourdeanu, L., et al. (2020). Burnout and Intent to Leave Among Hematology/Oncology NPs. J Adv Pract Oncol, 11(2):141–148. https://doi.org/10.6004/jadpro.2020.11.2.2
6. Heale, R. (2025). Burnout among nurse practitioners in Canada. Eur Sci J, 21(9). https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2025.v21n9p1
7. Sinsky, C., et al. (2024). Vacation Days Taken and Burnout Among US Physicians. JAMA Network Open, 7(1):e2351635. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.51635