'It’s tough to put into words what the past year has been like as a critical care nurse'

“Nursing was never my calling, but it’s become my passion. Any given day on the job demands my best from beginning to end as I manage the sickest patients alongside my team.

The highs are high, and the lows are low – and I’m sure that I don’t need to explain why the lows have been lower and more frequent lately.

At the best of times, working in the ICU embodies every dimension of nursing work, but it’s tough to put into words what the past year has been like as a critical care nurse. For myself, what’s seen as resilience really just amounts to dedication and professional obligation. I want to love my job again, and I want to leave every shift with the tired satisfaction of knowing that I did everything I could to provide the very best care for my patients.

But lately, I’ve just been feeling tired. We are pushed to the brink when we’re at work, and then we leave to face all of the same fears and challenges as everyone else. I’m not a hero or a martyr, I’m just fighting alongside an incredible group of humans to do my best. I hope that’s going to be good enough.”