CNA burnout: how to decide what to do next
Burnout in care work is common, and it does not mean you are bad at your job. Long shifts, heavy lifting, short staffing and caring for people who are sick or dying wear anyone down. You do not have to decide everything tonight.
Below are ways CNAs and aides make things better, from small changes at the same job to a new job or a next step. Carmen can talk it through with you at any hour. If you feel like you might hurt yourself, or you just need someone to talk to now, in the US you can call or text 988. It is free, confidential and open 24/7.
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Say it the way you’d say it to a friend. Carmen will ask what she needs to know.
One of the highest rates of all occupations
Injuries and illnesses, nursing assistants and orderlies
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook$42,310 in hospitals, $38,040 in home health care
Median pay, nursing assistants, by workplace, May 2025
BLS Occupational Outlook HandbookWays to decide what to do about burnout
Write down what is wearing you down
Burnout often comes from a few parts of the job more than the rest. For one week, write down the worst part of each shift. It may be one client, one coworker, the doubles or the lifting. Once you see it, you know what to change.
- First step
- Start a note on your phone tonight and add one line after each shift for a week.
Talk to your supervisor about your assignment
Ask for a change in your clients, unit or hours. Supervisors often want to keep good aides and may say yes to a small change. Go in with one clear ask and keep it short.
- First step
- Pick the one change that would help most and ask for a short private talk this week.
Try a different client or facility
The same job can feel very different in a new place. A different nursing home, a hospital, a clinic or a new home care client can mean better staffing or better pay. You keep your skills and your certificate.
- Pay
- Median for nursing assistants: $42,310 a year in hospitals and $38,040 in home health care (BLS, May 2025).
- First step
- Ask two coworkers or friends where they have heard the staffing is better, then apply to one.
Private duty care
Some aides work for one client or family directly. You may get more control over your hours and fewer clients at once. You also take on more yourself, like insurance and finding the next client when a job ends.
- First step
- Ask families you trust, or your local Area Agency on Aging, how families in your area find private caregivers.
Work fewer doubles
Extra shifts help with money but can take your sleep and health. Try to cut one double a week and see how you feel. If you need the money, look at a job that pays more per hour instead of more hours.
- First step
- Look at next month's schedule and choose one double you will say no to.
Talk to your union, if you have one
If your workplace has a union, your union representative can help with staffing, schedules, safety and pay. They know your contract and what you have a right to ask for.
- First step
- Find out who your union representative is and ask for a short talk.
Take care of your body
BLS notes that nursing assistants have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations, and that aides must use proper lifting to guard against back injury. Ask for lift equipment and help with heavy transfers. Report any injury right away, even a small one.
- First step
- Ask your supervisor where the lift equipment is and who can show you how to use it.
Plan your next step up
Sometimes the answer is a new role. Many CNAs move on to medication aide, medical assistant, LPN or RN. Having a plan with a date can make hard shifts easier to get through.
- Pay
- Median $64,400 a year for LPNs and LVNs (BLS, 2025).
- First step
- Write down one next role you would like and one thing you can do this month to move toward it.
Sample conversation
How a conversation with Carmen starts
Carmen asks before she suggests. An illustrative example, not a real person.
I'm so tired. I've done four doubles this week and I dread going in.
Four doubles in a week is a lot for anyone. What part of the job is hardest right now?
Mostly the short staffing. I'm doing the work of two people.
Short staffing is a problem with the workplace, and it is fair to want it fixed. Would you rather ask for a change where you are, or look at places with better staffing?
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Questions & answers
- How do I know if I have CNA burnout?
- Common signs are dreading every shift, feeling numb or short with clients, being tired even after rest, and getting sick more often. If you feel this way most days, it is time to change something.
- Should I quit being a CNA?
- Maybe, but first check whether the problem is the job or the place. A different facility, a new client, fewer doubles or a step up to LPN may fix it while you keep your skills.
- Who can I talk to if I feel overwhelmed?
- Talk to someone you trust, your doctor, or a counselor. In the US, you can call or text 988 any time to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It is free and confidential, and it is also for emotional distress.
- What jobs can a burned-out CNA do?
- Common moves are medical assistant, phlebotomist, clinic or office work, medication aide, or school for LPN or RN. Your care experience counts in all of them.