Self-care is exceptionally important for healthcare professionals — individuals who provide round-the-clock care to people in need in highly stressful environments. However, it’s not something that they are always able to prioritize. Multiple studies have been published highlighting the importance of work-life balance for nurses, and adopting self-care strategies is one of the best ways nurses can counter the many physical and mental health challenges associated with the profession.

In this article, we discuss the reasons why nurses tend to skip breaks at work and why they need to celebrate Nurses Week 2026 with evidence-based wellness and self-care strategies.

Why Nurses Skip Breaks: What the Data Reveals

Breaks are meant to be taken, especially in healthcare settings, where healthcare professionals’ health and well-being directly affect patient care outcomes and organizational operations. Unfortunately, a large part of the nursing population doesn’t take their breaks, despite nurses knowing how important they are for their overall wellness. A 2025 survey found that 94% of 1,000 employees working in retail, hospitality, and healthcare settings know that taking a break enhances job performance; however, half skipped taking their breaks at least once a week, while a third of them skipped breaks twice a week or more.

The following are the reasons why nurses forego rest breaks and what happens when nurses skip breaks:

• They’re too busy. According to Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences, 55% of the nurses they surveyed in 2026 shared that their busy schedules are the reason behind their regularly skipping breaks when they’re working. This leaves nurses tired and fatigued, and increases the risk for chronic stress and burnout.
• They’re constantly inundated with crucial work. From tending to patients in need to doing detailed documentation, their high workloads prevent them from taking breaks at the right time, and most of the time, they don’t take any breaks at all.
• Hospitals are understaffed. Understaffing is a major reason why nurses don’t get to take enough breaks during their shifts. According to an article published by the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), only 19% of nurses were relieved of patient assignments to get their required break.
• Some nurses only view breaks as time to be spent for eating. Breaks can also be spent for resting or napping, which can be especially helpful for nurses working the night shift. Research suggests that night shift nurses on 12-hour shifts can benefit from taking one-hour naps to bolster alertness.

The Case for Mandatory Break Policies: Evidence for Hospital Leaders

Healthcare organizations must have unit-level structures, processes, and systems in place to support nurses, allowing them to take breaks that they need and deserve while they’re at work. There are many pieces of evidence for mandatory nurse breaks and policies that support staff well-being, such as the following:

• When nurses don’t get enough breaks, the chances of them getting burned out and leaving the profession are higher. Nurses who receive adequate rest breaks, management support, and staffing support are at reduced risk of developing professional burnout.
• Missed breaks negatively impact nurses’ physical and mental health, which causes them to provide inefficient and inaccurate patient care. Research shows that nurses who don’t get enough breaks are at increased risk of missing essential patient care tasks, including medication administration, patient monitoring, and timely interventions. These can lead to longer hospital stays for patients and even higher mortality rates.
• Nurses who don’t get enough rest tend to commit more medication errors. According to a 2023 study, fatigue is linked to diminished cognition, attention, and vigilance in nurses that adversely impacts patient care activities, including medication administration. Medication errors come at a great cost, harming 1.5 million individuals and costing healthcare facilities $77 billion annually.

To keep both nurses and patients safe and healthy, hospitals must create sustainable systems and processes that mandate nurses take breaks. Doing so will improve nurses’ overall health and well-being, as well as bolster job satisfaction and retention rates.