ICU Burnout on the Rise: Here’s How You Can Help Your Team Stay Healthy
Protecting ICU teams to safeguard patient care
December 30, 2025
In intensive care units (ICU) across the country, the pressure is relentless. ICU nurses and physicians face irregular and long shifts, emotionally charged decisions and constant life-or-death responsibility. This everyday intensity can very easily lead to burnout: a state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.
In 2019, burnout was included in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an occupational phenomenon.
In a 2023 article from the National Library of Medicine, a collection of 25 studies with over 20,000 ICU clinician participants, burnout was observed in 41% of ICU physicians and in 44% of ICU nurses. It also suggested that the 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) was associated with an increase in burnout levels in ICU nurses.
For healthcare leaders, this isn’t just a workforce issue but a patient safety concern, an employee retention challenge and a wake-up call.
Understanding the causes of burnout, and implementing meaningful solutions, can help protect both your team and the patients they serve.
The Growing Challenge of ICU Burnout
Burnout in ICU clinicians is increasing, fueled by a combination of systemic and situational factors. A few examples include:
- High patient acuity: ICU staff care for the most critical patients, requiring fast and complex interventions with constant monitoring.
- Staffing shortages: With fewer hands on deck, workloads become heavier and longer, leaving little room for a recharge or recovery from an exhausting shift.
- Emotional toll: Witnessing trauma, loss and prolonged suffering takes a significant psychological toll on clinicians that lingers for an indefinite amount of time.
- Pandemic aftershocks: COVID-19 was a horrific event for healthcare facilities of all types and sizes across the globe, and many are still grappling with its lingering effects.
These are just some examples that contribute to rising rates of anxiety, depression and an entire workforce being overly strained.
Why the Effects of Burnout Matter in the ICU
A recurring challenge among almost every hospital in the U.S. is the struggle to recruit and retain enough ICU nurses and physicians to meet patient needs. When burnout symptoms progress unchecked, it intensifies this shortage, driving experienced professionals away from the bedside and discouraging new clinicians from entering critical care roles.
If burnout is not managed in a healthy and proactive way, ICUs risk entering a downward spiral where shortages and stress feed off each other. Protecting ICU teams from burnout goes beyond individual wellbeing; it impacts a hospital’s ability to deliver care and build a positive relationship with their communities.
Leadership Strategies to Combat Burnout
Department leaders can help set the tone for the entire team by modeling resilience, empathy and balance. A role-model approach can transform the culture of an ICU by showing clinicians that their well-being is not only valued but actively supported. Consider these strategies:
- Normalize conversations about burnout: Encourage staff to speak openly about stress without fear of judgement.
- Invest in resilience training: These don’t have to happen every month, but consider offering workshops throughout the year to equip clinicians with coping strategies and mindfulness techniques.
- Recognize and celebrate contributions: Simple acts of recognition can boost morale and remind staff of their value.
- Measure and respond: Use surveys and feedback tools to track burnout levels and adjust interventions accordingly.
When leadership demonstrates commitment to staff wellbeing, ICU teams feel supported and empowered to deliver their best care.
How Telehealth Services Can Help
Another available solution is telehealth services. Telehealth supports ICUs by reducing burdens and expanding resources. Remote monitoring, access to global clinical expertise, flexible staffing models and administrative assistance are just a few benefits of telehealth services in the ICU.
Tele-critical care doesn’t replace an on-site team, but instead relieves the pressure they facing, giving them time to rest, recharge and ultimately work top of license without compromising care.
Hospital surveys from The Leapfrog Group have suggested that tele-intensivist coverage combined with some in-person intensivist coverage can reduce ICU mortality by 15-30%. Another survey found that ICU telehealth services can reduce patient length of stay by 32%.
Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
Unfortunately, ICU burnout is not a passing trend. It’s a systemic issue that threatens patient safety, clinician retention and the overall resilience of healthcare organizations. With staffing shortages already straining critical care units, unchecked burnout only deepens the crisis.
Hospitals must act decisively, combining leadership strategies that model empathy and resilience with innovative solutions like telehealth to ease workloads and provide vital support. By prioritizing clinician wellbeing, organizations not only protect their teams but also strengthen the quality of care delivered to patients. Addressing burnout today ensures healthier ICUs and a more sustainable future for healthcare.
Ready to explore how Intercept Telehealth can help your ICU team thrive? Contact us today to learn more!
