My body knows it needs rest
My heart knows it needs self-care
My mind knows it's ok to laugh

And for all of these things I know, there is so much that I don’t.

Did I do enough for my patient that had to die alone?

How long will this last?

How much more can I handle?

Sometimes it's not the answer we need, but a safe place to ask a question.

You see me standing before you as the nurse you’ve always known. 

And while I may look the same I am forever changed.

All my patients I couldn’t save

The incredible amount of loss I’ve experienced

My coworkers I've watched break down

The mother who had to hold her sick child alone with no support from her loved ones

The countless families who had to say goodbye over FaceTime

And a million more seemingly small moments that will forever be engrained in my memory.

So when you ask me what I need or how I’m doing, I am unsure how to respond because it is such a loaded question.

We have shown up to fight your battles and ours.

And although we are tired, we will continue to show up proudly, for all of us.

But what do can you do for me, you ask?

The question still remains and the answer is still the same: I do not know.

So I will tell you what I do know and that is:

My body says rest... let me sleep in peace

My heart says cry... let me cry without question

My mind says laugh... laugh with me

Your brain says you must DO something but I'm asking you to go to your heart and feel with me to help me heal a little piece of mine. 🖤

We have a few different ways that you can support nurses right now! 

Please join us as we support nurses working on the frontlines of this pandemic through the Inspire A Nurse program. 

Nurses are helpers and healers, and while they get joy and fulfillment from supporting others, they need help too. 

To get involved with the Inspire A Nurse program and send some encouragement to the nurses working tirelessly on the front lines, please visit this page!