Photo by Chatgpt
By: Hannah Darnell, RN
Staying awake for the whole night goes against every one of my eyeball vessels. My muscles shouted please prop your feet and get some sleep. Fighting the darkness as my lids closed, I needed my vice - coffee coming up.
Isn’t it too funny how I teach patients the importance of sleep and deny caffeine hours before shut eye; yet my brain must remain awake. After all, nurses are just the messengers, do as I say, never as I do.
It’s only 6 am why am I so hungry my stomach says bite me! Something quick or I’m going to be sick, a donut it is, but I don’t want to get thick…
Home bound finally - it’s winter I’m bundled in my marshmallow slice of heaven with the heat. Do not fall asleep. I jerk the wheel trying to succumb to my slumber. Divine intervention shouted pay attention! With that, I donned my gloves over my chapped hands and secured my hat. Next thing you know I was like a dog in the wind, frigid - I had to wind (or button press) my window down to keep my lids up.
Once home I was grateful not to be dead. My pup licked me to defrost, so I debated showering. You can understand why hygiene can wait? Eww I know, but it’s too draining. Take my shower wind down an hour, oh look it’s sunrise, no!! My circadian rhythm is off tempo. Like a vampire I shrill in the light and cover the windows with black out curtains. And with that, I’ll say good night.
Four hours later, startled awake I cannot escape to dreamland. Mr. Sandman bring my mind to relax like a calm sea. No no no was there something I forgot? A med, a chart, did I lock the narc cart?
Finished my chart able to depart back to never never never land? Nope I’m hungry again, nap some more.
The darn alarm sounded like a raging cymbal struggling to say stop; fumbling to the bathroom, waking up, then repeat.
It’s true the graveyard shift seeps into your days off, leaving you groggy for what seems like an eternity!
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