My Burnout Story: From Exhaustion to a New Beginning ✨🌿
Burnout, for me, felt like trying to convince myself every day to go to work and not call off. I was mentally drained; nothing about work felt rewarding anymore. It was as if I was running on empty, showing up but feeling completely disconnected from the purpose that once fueled me.
The Breaking Point
My breaking point came during COVID. I was working as a travel nurse, leaving my family behind and constantly worrying if I’d even make it home safe. During that time, I worked five to six twelve-hour shifts a week. Some weeks, I lost a patient every day, sometimes more than one.
The money was good, but the burnout consumed me. It was no longer about helping others; it was about surviving the shift.
The Turning Point
Eventually, I came home feeling completely depleted. I didn’t want to work for a minute longer, but I still had to provide for my family. After taking a three-month hiatus, I found a new start in the H23 Bronchoscopy Suite Family.
They were incredible people to work with, supportive, kind, and genuinely caring. We bonded both inside and outside of work. They helped me through personal ups and downs, offering not just teamwork but friendship.
Even when I passed out in the procedure room eight months pregnant with my daughter, they stood by me. That experience reminded me how vital it is to be surrounded by people who understand and uplift you.
A New Path Forward
During that season, I also finished my Master’s in Nursing Informatics. I had worked hard to transition beyond the bedside and help people in a new way, through technology, systems, and innovation.
Taking time to slow down and step back allowed me to rediscover my peace and purpose. Journaling, something I’ve done since childhood, became my safe space. I also started therapy, where I learned to set and protect my boundaries; something nursing had taught me to neglect.
Informatics gave me a new beginning, one where I could stay connected to healthcare without losing myself in it. It allowed me to build a career that aligns with who I am and what I value most.
The Takeaway
If you’re feeling exhausted, irritable, or emotionally numb, please know this:
Your story doesn’t end with burnout.
It’s okay to pause. It’s okay to find your place again in life and your career.
Sometimes burnout isn’t the end, it’s the invitation to begin again.
This is your reminder that what feels like the end of one chapter might just be the beginning of your “beyond.”