Finished a Blanket on a Code Blue Pause
Code blue paused my break. I came back to half a row. Finished the blanket anyway during a vitals lull. The patient asked if she could have it. Yes. Nursing...
#nursing
Coffee Shop Prices vs. Night Shift Wages
I stopped at the fancy coffee shop after night shift. Latte: six dollars. My hourly rate after tax makes the math depressing. Nurse with crochet bag and hosp...
Night Shift Crochet and the Code I Didn't Write
I crocheted a blanket on night shift between vitals checks. The charge nurse said it was unprofessional. The patient said it calmed her down. I said nothing....
Float Pool Means You Never Learn Where the Snacks Hide
I floated to oncology today. Could not find gauze, coffee, or a friendly face. Every unit is a country with its own customs. The charge nurse sighed when I a...
The New Grad Asked If Nursing Gets Easier
I am precepting a new grad who cried in the supply room after her first code. She wanted a timeline. I told her the truth: different hard, not less. There is...
We Call It Compassion Fatigue Like It Is a Weather Pattern
I did not cry in front of a patient today. I cried in front of the break room microwave. Someone had reheated fish again, and I stood there staring at the li...
The Night Shift Counts in Hours, Not Dollars
Marcus called in sick again. Daycare closes at six. My daughter's teacher gave me the look last week when I was late, the look that says we are keeping track...
The Arithmetic of a 12-Hour Shift
A nurse's account of a 12-hour shift, a child's trauma, and a marker-stained wall becomes an argument about what healthcare workers are really owed.