In The Still of the Night

3:00am.

This can be one of my favorite times of the day!

Now I know that most of you sleep through this hour of the night, but as a current night-shift worker on a small unit, I have a different perspective.

3:00am is when there's a stillness in the night when morning hasn't quite hit yet. I roam from room to room checking in on my sleeping patients, knowing that I was able to help ease their pain or discomfort, and all the world seems quiet.

I love being a nurse for so many reasons, but one of the biggest is that it's just such an honor that people let me care for them during their most vulnerable time. Maybe I'm caring for a middle-aged woman having her gall bladder out who's been feeling miserable for a few days and just needs someone to listen. It turns out her family issues are even worse than the gall bladder. Maybe my patient is a 2-month-old here with respiratory distress who needs my help to breathe better, and once that happens it's obvious that his mom is exhausted so I rock him back to sleep. Maybe my patient is a confused elderly man who has been up and down all shift, and it turns out when I control his pain he's able to settle into bed and fall asleep comfortably.

3:00am.

I feel so honored that I can watch over my patients and ensure
their safety,
that they're comfortable,
asleep,
calm,
and at peace.

Before the morning rush starts.