7 Mistakes You're Making with Director of Nursing Burnout (and How to Fix Them)

You're exhausted. Not the "I need a vacation" kind. The bone-deep kind that makes you question why you ever took this job in the first place.

You're not alone. And you're not weak for feeling it.

Director of Nursing burnout is real. It's widespread. And most of us are making it worse without even realizing it.

I've been there. Sitting in my car before walking into the building, needing five more minutes. Checking emails at 11 PM because the guilt of not responding felt worse than the exhaustion. Telling myself "it's just a busy season" for three years straight.

Here's the truth: some of the things you're doing to survive are actually feeding the fire. Let's talk about the seven biggest mistakes, and what actually works instead.

Mistake #1: Pretending Work-Life Balance Will Just "Happen"

You keep telling yourself you'll take that PTO. You'll leave on time next week. You'll stop answering texts after 7 PM... eventually.

It never happens.

Work-life balance doesn't show up because you deserve it. It shows up because you protect it. Fiercely. Like it's a patient coding in Room 3.

The fix: Stop waiting for permission. Block time on your calendar for yourself, and treat it like a survey visit. Non-negotiable. Whether it's a workout, dinner with your family, or just sitting in silence for 30 minutes, schedule it. Then defend it.

No one is going to hand you balance. You have to take it.

Mistake #2: Running on Fumes Because You're Short-Staffed

You're covering shifts. You're on the floor more than in your office. You're doing the job of three people because there's literally no one else.

Sound familiar?

Understaffing doesn't just burn out your CNAs and nurses. It burns out you. And when you're fried, your decision-making suffers. Your patience shrinks. Your ability to lead takes a hit.

The fix: This one's harder because it's not entirely in your control. But here's what is: advocating loudly and consistently for staffing support. Document the gaps. Show the data. Make the case to administration in terms they understand, patient outcomes, liability, turnover costs.

And in the meantime? Stop being the hero who fills every hole. Delegate what you can. Accept "good enough" on the things that won't matter in six months. Protect your energy for the decisions only you can make.

Mistake #3: Drowning in Paperwork You Could Streamline

Charting. Audits. Compliance documentation. Incident reports. Care plans. More charting.

You didn't become a DON to push paper. But some days, that's all you do.

Here's the problem: most of us accept the documentation burden as "just part of the job" without questioning whether it has to be this heavy.

The fix: Audit your own processes. What's redundant? What's being documented twice? What templates could save you 20 minutes a day?

Talk to your EHR vendor. Talk to your administrator. Push for streamlined workflows. Even small wins, like a better incident report template, add up over time.

You can't eliminate paperwork. But you can stop letting it eat your entire day.

Mistake #4: Ignoring Your Own Mental Health

You check in on your staff. You notice when someone's struggling. You make referrals, offer support, adjust schedules.

But when's the last time you did that for yourself?

Most DONs I know wouldn't dream of telling a nurse to "just push through" a mental health crisis. But we say it to ourselves constantly.

The fix: Access the same resources you'd recommend to your team. EAP programs exist for you too. Therapy isn't a sign of failure, it's maintenance. Like getting your oil changed so your engine doesn't seize.

And if your organization doesn't offer mental health support? That's a conversation worth having with leadership. You can't pour from an empty cup, and neither can your staff.

Mistake #5: Tolerating Toxic Leadership Above You

Let's be real. Sometimes the burnout isn't coming from the floor. It's coming from above.

Administrators who don't understand clinical realities. Regional managers who set impossible expectations. A culture that rewards martyrdom and punishes boundaries.

You can do everything right and still burn out if the leadership above you is broken.

The fix: This is the hardest one. You can't always change the people above you. But you can set boundaries. You can document unreasonable demands. You can build alliances with other leaders who see the same problems.

And sometimes? You can leave. Not every building deserves you. Not every organization is worth your health.

That's not quitting. That's self-preservation.

Mistake #6: Having Zero Say in Decisions That Affect Your Job

You're accountable for outcomes. But you weren't consulted on the new policy. Or the budget cut. Or the staffing model change.

Nothing burns out a leader faster than responsibility without authority.

The fix: Start asking for a seat at the table. Not in a confrontational way, in a collaborative one. "I want to make this work. Can I be part of the planning process so I can anticipate challenges?"

If your organization doesn't value nursing leadership input, that's a red flag. But many administrators simply don't think to include clinical leaders until someone asks.

Ask.

Mistake #7: Expecting Self-Care to Fix a Broken System

Here's the one that gets me fired up.

You can meditate every morning. You can journal. You can do yoga at lunch and drink all the green smoothies in the world.

But if your organization is structurally broken, if the staffing is unsafe, the expectations are impossible, and the support isn't there, no amount of self-care will save you.

Burnout is not a personal failure. It's often a system failure.

The fix: Stop blaming yourself for struggling in a struggling system. Yes, take care of yourself. But also recognize when the problem is bigger than you.

Push for organizational change. Advocate for realistic expectations. Build a culture where your team can thrive: not just survive.

And if the system refuses to change? Refer back to Mistake #5.

The Real Talk

Burnout doesn't mean you're bad at your job. It often means you care too much in a system that doesn't care enough.

You became a DON because you wanted to lead. To make a difference. To build something better for your staff and your residents.

That's still possible. But not if you're running on empty.

Take an honest look at these seven mistakes. Which ones hit home? Which ones have you been ignoring because fixing them feels too hard?

Start with one. Just one.

Because you can't lead anyone anywhere if you're too burned out to move.

You're not alone in this. And you're not the problem.