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All professions have their challenges and rewards, and I think it’s fair to say that nursing has more than its fair share of both. Between life or death situations, constant contact with irritated and sick humans, long hours on their feet, and sometimes being treated as lesser-than by doctors and others “above” them, nurses definitely have more reason than some to feel exhausted.
The truth of this reality hit Laura McIntyre as she snapped a picture of her twin sister, Caty, after her fourth shift in a row. Her sister was exhausted, in tears, and too tired to even eat the plate of food on her lap.
“She’s gonna kill me for this picture, but can we just give it up for nurses for a minute?
Caty just wrapped up her fourth shift in a row. That’s around 53+ hours in four days. That’s not including the 1.5 hours she’s in the car each day. She usually doesn’t get a chance to eat lunch or even drink much water (& she has to dress like a blueberry…I mean, come on). She is so good at what she does that she often forgets how to take care of herself while she’s taking care of her patients.
This pic is from a night back in July where she came to my house after a particularly hard day. She delivered a stillborn. Have you guys ever really thought about what a labor and delivery nurse sees? They see great joy in smooth deliveries & healthy moms & babies. They see panic & anxiety when a new mom is scard. They see fear when a stat c-section is called. The see peace when the mom has support from her family – because not all new moms do. They see teenagers giving birth. They see an addicted mom give birth to a baby who is withdrawing. They see CPS come. They see funeral homes comes. Did you know that they have to make arrangements for the funeral home to come pick up the baby? I didn’t either.
Caty (& all other nurses) – you are SPECIAL. You bless your patients and their families more than you will ever know. Thank you for all that you do.”
Nurses face stress, high pressure, and incredible loss on a daily basis, which means when they finally have time to let go, their emotions can overwhelm them.
So, let’s give it up for Caty, and maybe take a moment to hug the nurses in your life today.
