Emory University: From Burnout to Balance—7 Resilience Boosters for Nurses (With Rebeca Leon, Dr. JoEllen Schimmels and Dr. Nicholas Giordano)

In this Emory University series episode of Nurse Converse, host Rebeca Leon sits down with Dr. JoEllen “Ellen” Schimmels, Interim Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Specialty Director, and Dr. Nicholas Giordano, Assistant Professor at the Emory School of Nursing, for an honest conversation about resilience, burnout, and the realities nurses face in today’s healthcare system.Grounded in both research and lived experience, the episode explores how burnout, moral distress, workplace violence, and systemic inequities shape the profession—and what meaningful solutions look like at both the individual and organizational levels.You’ll hear:What burnout really looks like today and why so many nurses feel stretched beyond capacity.How ethical, political, and structural pressures—including staffing, documentation burden, bias, and policy constraints—fuel moral distress.The impact of bullying, incivility, and silencing within nursing and healthcare hierarchies.System-level strategies that make a difference, from safe staffing and supportive leadership to resilience programs and workplace redesign.How nurses can stay aligned with their values while advocating for themselves, their colleagues, and their patients.Whether you're a bedside nurse, leader, or student, this episode offers validation, clarity, and hopeful direction for creating healthier environments where nurses can truly thrive.>>From Burnout to Balance—7 Resilience Boosters for NursesJump Ahead to Listen: [00:01:10] Resilience in nursing. [00:03:27] Burnout across the healthcare workforce. [00:09:25] Burnout challenges faced by new nurses. [00:11:56] Core drivers contributing to nursing burnout. [00:15:29] Moral distress and its connection to burnout. [00:19:11] The broader landscape of burnout in the nursing profession. [00:21:40] Stigma surrounding nurses seeking support. [00:25:40] Barriers tied to mental health stigma in clinical settings. [00:28:33] Obstacles to accessing mental health resources. [00:31:48] Silence, underreporting, and their impact on burnout. [00:35:59] National recognition of healthcare worker burnout as a crisis. [00:39:31] The role of collective care and team support. [00:44:55] Prioritizing nurse safety and psychological well-being. [00:47:23] Resilience and mindfulness training for clinical teams. [00:49:40] Elevating the nursing voice and improving reporting processes. [00:55:17] Advocating for professional values in nursing. [00:57:10] Practicing sustainable self-care as a nurse. [01:00:24] Nursing professional development and building advocacy skills. [01:05:06] Measuring well-being and burnout within the clinician workforce. [01:09:03] System-level factors driving burnout. For more information, full transcript and videos visit Nurse.org/podcastJoin our newsletter at nurse.org/joinInstagram: @nurse_orgTikTok: @nurse.orgFacebook: @nurse.orgYouTube: Nurse.org