Burnout Is Not a Rite of Passage: Why Peer Support Matters More Than Ever

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I still remember moments in my career when I questioned if this path of working in psychiatric mental health was for me. The burden felt heavy, and I felt isolated—like I was failing my patients and myself. I didn’t need another textbook or webinar; I needed someone I could talk to, someone who understood.

Nearly 60 million adults in the US are living with a mental illness, and that number keeps climbing.¹ Access to care has not kept pace, placing added demands on providers and reinforcing the need for scalable, sustainable solutions.

Psychiatric nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician associates/assistants (PAs) are helping expand access and meet the growing demand for mental health care. But we are often entering a system that was not designed with us in mind. Unlike physicians, who go through standardized residency programs, most of us graduate without consistent post-graduate training. For many of us, that means figuring it out on the job and looking to our peers for support and education.

Peer support cannot replace a residency, but it can make the difference between staying in the field and burning out early. Early in my career, I met weekly with an experienced psych NP who walked me through case consultations. That one-on-one mentorship time not only sharpened my judgment but reassured me that I was not alone in making tough calls. Whether it is through case consultations, structured mentorship, or simply having someone to call after a tough session, these relationships matter.

The Gap in Training and the Reality of Practice

Psychiatric NPs and PAs often enter the field with training that looks very different depending on the program.² Some graduate with a solid foundation in psychopharmacology and psychotherapy. Others leave school having had little exposure to complex cases or wishing their clinical experiences had been higher quality with more opportunities to hone their skills.

Without enough structured clinical experience, even the most motivated new providers can feel uncertain when it comes to diagnosis, treatment planning, and knowing how to navigate the gray areas of psychiatry. Even after graduating from a strong program, I felt gaps in my psychotherapy and psychopharmacology training that mentorship helped fill. What is often missing is regular case consultation, a space where new clinicians can process decisions, ask questions, and feel grounded in their approach.

In many cases, mentorship is a deciding factor when choosing where to work. New providers may take roles that are not the perfect fit just to access consistent supervision and feedback. Without that support, new providers sometimes carry the weight of clinical responsibility without the foundation they need to feel steady in it, and that is where burnout starts.

Peer Education as a Bridge

Unlike specialties with clear protocols, psychiatric care often lives in the gray. Treatment is nuanced, ambiguous, and deeply personal. That uncertainty can lead to second-guessing, decision fatigue, and self-doubt, especially in environments where mentorship is not part of the culture.

Mentorship relationships help new providers build the judgment and self-trust that cannot come from coursework alone. Psychiatry is heavy work. We carry complex patient stories, and without places to process what we are holding, the weight adds up fast. Studies show that mentorship programs reduce burnout and improve retention among advanced practice providers, which mirrors what I have seen in my own practice.³

Organizations like Point of Care Network (POCN), the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners are expanding access to peer education and professional development through dedicated communities and app-based platforms. For example, POCN’s Centers of Excellence focus on a variety of practice areas like major depressive disorder, tardive dyskinesia, and bipolar disorder.⁴

These centers are curated by NPs and PAs actively working in the field and include up-to-date clinical guidelines, patient education resources, and research updates. Many providers in our field rely on these tools to stay current, sharpen their clinical skills, and build confidence in areas where real-world support is often limited.

Peer learning and collaboration are important at every stage of practice. As the field evolves and new treatments, diagnoses, and care models emerge, NPs and PAs need spaces to learn from one another.

Preventing Burnout and Building Longevity

Since the pandemic, many advanced practice providers have felt stretched thin by patient needs, paperwork, long waitlists, and continuing education. Even those who love this work can find themselves practicing at the edge of what is sustainable.

The demand is constant, the emotional weight is real, and for many, especially those working in telehealth or solo practice, the isolation can be profound. Without support, even the most motivated psychiatric providers can burn out early. For new providers, even setting up a small peer consultation group can help ease the isolation and build confidence.

I have seen talented and passionate NPs and PAs leave the field within a few years because they did not have the support they needed to stay. A 2024 survey found that 1 in 8 NPs were considering leaving medicine altogether due to the severity of their burnout.⁵ When we invest in support early on, including through peer networks, mentorship, and clinical collaboration, we protect providers and create the kind of sustainable system that helps them thrive.

Collaboration Across Disciplines

Support does not just come from people with the same job title. Some of the most meaningful growth happens when we learn across roles. While NPs are trained in a nursing model that emphasizes therapeutic relationships and holistic care, PAs are educated through the medical model, with a strong focus on diagnostics and pharmacology.

When we are encouraged to learn from each other, we bring a more complete perspective to patient care. We ask different questions, notice different patterns, and offer each other insights that make all of us better providers. And none of us, not NPs, not PAs, not psychiatrists, can meet the growing need alone. We are part of a system that only works when every provider is supported and empowered to practice at the top of their training.

Dr Hill is an ambassador, founder of the Psych Provider Bootcamp, cofounder of the Psych NP Network, CEO and founder of Klear Care, and the Arizona APNA chapter president.

References

1. Mental illness. National Institute of Health. September 2024. Accessed September 9, 2025. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.

2. Wesemann D, Convoy S, Goldsein D, et al. How PMHNP program directors facilitate psychotherapeutic skill acquisition. J Am Psych Nurse Assn. 2022;30(2).

3. Bullock LM, Akintade B, Appleby T, et al. Development and implementation a novel advanced practice provider mentorship model. J Nurse Prac. 2022;18(7):699-703.

4. Point of Care Network. https://www.pocn.com/

5. Kuchno K. NPs and burnout: 7 survey findings. Becker’s Hospital Review. August 9, 2024. Accessed September 9, 2025. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/workforce/nps-and-burnout-7-survey-findings/