Can Practicing Gratitude Boost Nurses’ Resilience? Gratitude may be a key ingredient for nurse wellness, helping them to feel more appreciated and happier at work. By Jill Suttie | May 10, 2021 Imagine you are a nurse who has been working day and night during the COVID-19 pandemic. You’ve seen patients become sick and die, met with grieving families, and, in some cases, haven’t even received adequate protective gear to do your job safely. No doubt, you’d be physically and emotionally drained. This is a recipe for burnout. And, no surprise, many nurses are burned out. Emotional exhaustion has been an ongoing risk for nurses in their job, even long before the pandemic. Now it’s only gotten worse: 62% of registered nurses report feeling more sad and depressed than they were before the pandemic.