82. Hospice Nurse Burnout: When You Know Something Needs to Change

If you're experiencing hospice nurse burnout and you know something has to change, this episode is for you.

After interviewing hospice nurses across the country for the Hospice Nurse Well-Being Project, one message has become incredibly clear:

Most hospice nurses don't want to leave hospice.

They want to love hospice again.

In this episode, I share a simple lesson from my morning walk that reminded me how often we convince ourselves that one small step won't make a difference. But what if those few intentional minutes aren't just another self-care task? What if they're the first step toward reconnecting with the nurse—and the person—you've always been?

We'll talk about why hope doesn't always come before action, how small daily choices can help you reconnect with yourself, and why caring for yourself isn't about adding one more thing to your to-do list. It's about creating enough space to remember why you chose this work in the first place.

If you've been feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, emotionally drained, or disconnected from the work you love, I hope this conversation reminds you that you're not alone—and that meaningful change often begins with one small step.

In this episode, you'll discover:
• Why hospice nurse burnout isn't the end of your story
• How small, intentional habits can create meaningful change
• A different way to think about self-care
• One simple question to ask before your day starts taking from you

Next week: If you could truly hit reset, what would actually be different? We'll explore what life could look like when you begin finding your way back to yourself.

If this episode encouraged you, I'd love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another hospice nurse who could use a little hope today.

💕 Remember...

You don't have to choose between loving hospice and protecting your own well-being.

 I truly believe it's possible to do both. 

💕 Enjoying The Nurses' Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN? Follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share it with another hospice nurse who could use a little encouragement. 

 💕 Download your FREE Hospice Nurse's Guide to Less Stress: www.JennyLytle.com/guide

Jenny Lytle, BSN, RN is the founder of The Hospice Nurse Well-Being Project™ and host of The Nurses' Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN. After more than 30 years as a nurse—including over two decades in hospice—she helps hospice nurses reduce stress, prevent burnout, and love hospice again—without sacrificing their own well-being. 💕 

🌿 Learn more about The Hospice Nurse Well-Being Project™
https://jennylytle.com

Transcript

Jenny 0:28

Hello and welcome back to The Nurses Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN If you've been listening for a while, you've probably noticed that over the past few months, I've been talking with hospice nurses from across the country as part of the hospice nurse well-being project. One thing that has become incredibly clear is that most hospice nurses don't actually want to leave hospice. What they want is to love hospice again. They're exhausted, they're overwhelmed, and they feel like they're constantly giving

Why Hospice Nurses Feel Disconnected

Jenny 0:58

pieces of themselves away. But underneath all of that, many of them still remember why they chose hospice in the first place. They remember the privilege of walking alongside patients and families during one of life's most sacred seasons. The problem isn't that they've stopped caring. The problem is that somewhere along the way, they've stopped feeling connected to the part of themselves that loved this work. I know that's what happened to me. And I was thinking about that this morning. I almost skipped my walk because it was humid outside and it's not nearly as hot as it was last week here, but still it just felt heavy. And I'd already convinced myself that it wasn't going to be enjoyable. And then I thought, you know what, like outside, it wasn't as bad as it seemed like it had been when I had first stepped outside and was just kind of thinking about going for a walk and almost talked myself out of it. And as a matter of fact, I ended up like re-coming up with these ideas, recording

A Walk That Changed The Mood

Jenny 1:56

these thoughts while I was walking because I was really enjoying it. And sometimes that movement really helps to get things going. And it reminded me how often our minds convince us that taking one small step won't make a difference, or that we don't have time for it. I hear that from hospice nurses all the time. You know, I don't have five minutes, or I'll take care of myself later. I just need to get through today. And I understand that because I've said those same things myself. But what if those five minutes aren't about self-care? What if they're not about adding another

Five Minutes As A First Step

Jenny 2:44

to-do to your list, but instead they're about hope? And what if taking a few slow breaths before your next visit? Or maybe packing a lunch instead of skipping it, or stopping at a park for five minutes between patients? Maybe it's creating a simple ritual for when you get home so that you can leave work at the door and know that you're ready to start again tomorrow. What if those aren't little self-care tasks? What if instead they're first steps toward reconnecting with the nurse and the person that you've always been? We can't control everything in hospice, of course. Admissions happen and patients decline unexpectedly, and schedules change. Phones ring and the texts come through. But that's the beauty and the chaos of this work, is so many of us like that we don't have the same old, same old every day. And we can control how we prepare ourselves for the day before

Tiny Rituals That Bring You Back

Jenny 4:05

the day starts taking from us. And I've realized that the goal isn't just to reduce stress, although lots of us could use a little less stress, but the goal is to create enough space to remember, to remember why you became a hospice nurse in the first place, to remember what brings you joy. And that's something that you need to consider outside of work as well. To remember that you matter too. Because when you're connected to yourself again, you show up differently. For your patients, but you show up differently for your family and for yourself, your co-workers. When we constantly pour from

Preparing Before The Day Takes

Jenny 5:04

an empty cup, when we attempt to pour from an empty cup, it comes through differently. And think about when you walk through your front door at the end of the day and your family gets the best of you, and not just what's left of you. And and if you live alone, well, then you deserve that too. And today I want to leave you with one simple question. Before your day starts taking from you, what are you doing to pour into yourself? I know how easy it is to just hit the ground running. But just consider this. It doesn't have to be big, it doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be one small step. Because sometimes hope

The Reset Question For Tuesday

Jenny 5:55

doesn't come before action. Sometimes hope grows because we are willing to take that first small step. That raises another question. If you were able to hit reset, what would actually be different? What would your life look like on an ordinary Tuesday if you truly started finding your way back to yourself? And that is exactly what we are going to talk about next week. And so I hope that you will tune in for that. So if that's where you are today, if you know that something needs to change, but you're not sure where to begin, I want you to know that you're not alone. And that's exactly why I've been creating a new resource for hospice nurses. A simple first step to help you reconnect and

Next Week And A New Resource

Jenny 6:59

begin loving hospice again, one intentional choice at a time. And thank you. Thank you so much for listening. If this episode encouraged you, I would love for you to leave a review and share it with another hospice nurse who might need a little hope today. Until next time, remember self care isn't selfish. It's essential if we want to continue to care for others and live our best lives. Have a wonderful week.