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Caring for the Caregivers. Counseling Support for Nursing Students & Nurses Under Stress
Nursing students and nurses face overwhelming stress, burnout, and record-high turnover rates. Yet their struggles often go unseen. This blog explores the unique pressures of nursing education and practice, weaving in recent statistics on nurse burnout, mental health, and workforce exits. Perfect for clinicians, educators, and healthcare leaders seeking insight into the mental health needs of today’s nursing workforce.
8/28/20254 min read
When Caring for the Caregivers: Therapist Support for Nursing Students & Nurses Under Pressure
Caring for those who care for others—nurses and nursing students—brings a unique calling. But beneath their dedication lies a heavy toll. As therapists, when we turn our attention to healing these healers, we confront high rates of anxiety, burnout, and early exits from the profession. Understanding the challenges is key to providing empathic, practical support.
The Weight of Stress: Nursing Students on the Brink
Even before stepping into a hospital, nursing students carry immense emotional labor. Around 67% of student nurses voice serious worries about managing their workload [1]. That pressure, combined with academic demands, creates fertile ground for burnout. Research shows that among students without clinical experience, anxiety and depression explained 44% of academic burnout, while for those with clinical practice, stress still accounted for 33% of burnout [2].
The strain is so high that 46% of nursing students in England reported considering quitting, citing financial stress and the burnout they see among practicing nurses [3]. For therapists, this means students often enter sessions already disillusioned and fearful of the future.
The Relentless Drain: Burnout Among Practicing Nurses
For registered nurses, the challenges don’t end with graduation. A survey revealed 65% report high levels of stress and burnout, and only 60% say they would choose nursing again if they had the chance [1]. Conditions like short staffing, underpay, lack of leadership support, and patient aggression top the list of stressors. Violence against nurses has been a issue for several decades.
Clinically, the numbers are very scary for the mental of nurses up to 51% of nurses report experiencing anxiety and depressive symptoms on the job [4]. These struggles have real consequences for retention: 24% of newly hired registered nurses quit within their first year, and another 19% leave before the second year ends [5]. Other studies suggest turnover can reach 32.8% in the first year and over 50% within two years, with up to 75% leaving within five years [6].
The bigger picture is no less alarming. Since 2022, 138,000 nurses have left the workforce, and nearly 40% report intending to leave by 2029 [7]. The stats are very clear that nursing while it must have its rewards is making nurses flee from the profession. This contributes to the ongoing global nursing shortage, placing added burdens on those who remain.
The Therapist’s Role: A Safe Harbor Amid Crisis
As therapists, we meet nurses and nursing students in the eye of this storm. We are often the first safe harbor where they can process exhaustion, shame, and moral distress.
We may see:
The student weighed down by academic burnout, fearful they’ll leave before even beginning.
The newly licensed nurse disillusioned after months of long shifts and low morale.
The experienced nurse questioning whether they can sustain this work without losing themselves.
Practical Therapeutic Approaches That Matter
Normalize burnout: With 65% of nurses burned out [1], naming the problem as systemic—not personal—validates their pain.
Rebuild control with boundaries: Micropauses, grounding techniques, and reflective journaling can help them reclaim small moments of agency.
Reconnect to meaning: Therapy can gently guide them back to their core values and purpose, even when the system feels depleting.
Reframe failure and guilt: For students especially, reframing “I’m failing” into “I’m responding to unrealistic pressures” opens space for healing.
Ritualize rest: Encourage small but consistent rituals—breathing, stretching, reading—that reinforce self-worth.
Support career exploration: For those considering leaving, exploring alternatives like teaching, outpatient care, or flexible schedules may soften despair.
How Study Courses Can Reduce Stress for Nursing Students
Nursing school is one of the most demanding journeys a student can take. Between mastering anatomy, memorizing pharmacology, and preparing for clinical rotations, it’s no wonder so many nursing students report feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and burnt out. In fact, research shows that nearly two-thirds of nursing students experience high levels of stress during their training.
One of the most effective ways to reduce this stress is by using structured study courses. Unlike trying to piece together notes from multiple textbooks or cram from scattered online resources, a guided course gives nursing students:
Organization: A clear roadmap of what to study and when, reducing the chaos of exam prep.
Efficiency: Focused content highlights the highest-yield material, so students don’t waste energy on information they don’t need.
Confidence: Practice questions, rationales, and review modules reinforce knowledge in a way that sticks—helping students walk into exams feeling prepared.
Stress Relief: With a system in place, the mental burden of “where do I even start?” is lifted, allowing students to focus on learning instead of panicking.
At NursePronto.com, they design their study resources specifically to help students tackle the pressure of nursing school with practical tools, clear explanations, and organized materials. Whether it’s quick-reference guides or step-by-step study courses, having support makes all the difference. Unlike other nursing exam courses they provide emotional support to their students. When nursing students realize they don’t have to do it all alone, the weight of stress lifts. A good study course doesn’t just prepare them for exams—it restores balance, builds resilience, and helps them focus on what matters most: becoming a confident, capable nurse.
Empowering Through Empathy
The message we communicate matters deeply: “You are not failing—you’re responding to unbearable demands. Your exhaustion is truth shouting. Let’s find a path where who you are and what sustains you align again.”
In therapy, nurses and nursing students can reclaim agency, rediscover rest, and reconnect with purpose—even amid systemic strain. While they have been caring for others, they need the reminder that someone is caring for them too.