It’s early January; your New Year's resolutions have been made, and the prospect of a great new year is at hand. For many clinicians, a new year and a new nursing job go hand in hand.
There are many factors that cross a nurse’s mind when considering a new job at this time of year. Pay, co-workers, and schedules play a major role in deciding if you stay or go.
Why do so many nurses feel this way in January?
The holidays are hard on hospital staffing. Coverage thins out, call outs pile up, and the nurses who worked Thanksgiving get asked to cover Christmas, too. By the time January starts, the exhaustion isn't from one bad week. It's from a full year landing all at once.
January also works as a natural checkpoint. New schedules go up, performance reviews loom, and the calendar itself invites you to take a look back at the year before.
With winter in full swing, feeling done in the first week of January is common. On its own, that feeling isn't a reason to resign. Before deciding anything, it helps to separate a rough stretch from a real signal.
What to look at before you decide
A single gut reaction rarely tells the whole story. If you’re asking yourself, “Is it time to change nursing jobs?” Work through all factors below because the loudest complaint isn't always the one that matters most.
Your pay against your market
Many nurses have never checked what their role is actually worth locally. Shift differentials, weekend and night premiums, and facility type can affect your real earning potential as much as a base rate.
Is it possible you are underpaid?
Employment of registered nurses (RNs) is projected to grow faster than average for all occupations, which gives working nurses real leverage if they know their numbers. Check your income against the local nursing market before assuming a raise means switching employers.
Whether your schedule is actually yours
Having control over your schedule matters as much as the number of hours you work. How far in advance your schedule is posted, how easily you can self-schedule, and whether shifts change without warning can affect your daily life as much as your total hours, if not more.
For many nurses, having a bit more say over when they work can make a difference in their work-life balance. You may find that having genuine control over your schedule brings you more job satisfaction as well.
The unit versus the profession
This may be the most useful distinction of all. Many nurses decide they're done with nursing when they're actually done with one unit, one manager, or one shift.
Ask yourself honestly: Does the dread attach to the work itself, or to the specific unit, person, or shift type?
Tired or burned out
Tiredness gets better with rest and a stretch of days off. Burnout typically doesn't. It shows up as detachment and a dread that endures even with time away, rather than fading.
According to the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study, which surveyed more than 800,000 nurses, stress and burnout are now the top reasons nurses leave the field, ahead of workload, understaffing, and pay.
If you're asking yourself, “Should I quit my nursing job?” because rest isn't changing how you feel, take that feeling seriously. Reach out to a trusted colleague, your employee assistance program, or a mental health professional rather than dealing with it on your own.
Your options are not just to stay or quit
In these situations, nurses often feel like they only have 2 options: stay or leave. But there is more than that:
- Transfer to a different unit within your facility and current employer.
- Change specialty while staying in the same health system.
- Switch shifts to change up who you work with and when you work.
- Move to a part-time position to reduce total hours without leaving entirely.
- Change to PRN shifts alongside or instead of a staff position.
Try a change before you commit to one
Per diem work lets you experience a change firsthand instead of just hoping for the best. A nurse who is curious about a different unit, specialty, or facility can pick up and “test-drive” a single shift at a new facility before resigning from their current role.
This approach is practical, not dramatic. You get a feel for how a unit actually runs, see the staff and the pace firsthand, and keep your income steady while you decide the next step.
On Nursa, clinicians can pick up single shifts to try a new facility, book shift blocks to get to know a unit over several weeks, or apply for in-house full-time and part-time jobs when they’re ready to make a move.
Starting the year in the job you have
Also, let’s be clear: Staying isn't the lesser choice.
If you decide to stay within your current role, use January to actually change something about it. Ask for a schedule adjustment. Pursue a certification you've been putting off. Request a different assignment mix. Setting nursing career goals for the new year doesn't have to require a new employer. Give yourself a concrete target worth working toward.
Starting the year somewhere new
If you decide a change is right for you, remember that you don't have to rush. Exploring new opportunities while staying in your current role allows you to take your time and find a fit that truly supports your personal and professional goals.
When you're ready to make the transition, give appropriate notice. This helps ensure a smooth departure, preserving positive professional relationships and strong references for the future.
Finding the ideal role takes time, and taking space to reflect after the holiday rush can help you step into your next chapter feeling refreshed, confident, and clear about what you want.
Want to test the water before leaving your current job? Sign up with Nursa today to browse the job landscape near you.
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