Hey, Rise & Thrive Tribe,
You left the hospital… but your mind didn’t.
You clock out. You wait for your coworkers who clock out late and walk together to the parking lot debriefing and if you are off the next day then you vote on which after work hangout place is best for the night, or morning for the night shifters.
If home is where you are headed then off you go. As soon as you hit that door, you change out of your scrubs and shoes probably before you even make it to the door.
But somehow… your mind is still there.
Still replaying that conversation.
Still wondering if you missed something. And if you are like me, if you do remember something you didn’t chart , you make a u turn and head right back. Years later I ask myself does it ever end? I’m still waiting.
Still thinking about that patient whose life story made you realize that you have far more to be grateful for than you express.
I remember early in my career, I thought the hardest part of nursing would be the tasks.
The time management.
The skills.
The knowledge.
But no one really prepares you for what follows you home.
Because nursing doesn’t just live in your hands.
It lives in your mind.
In your heart.
In the quiet moments when everything slows down.
New nurses often replay every detail.
“Did I chart that correctly?”
“Should I have called sooner?”
“Did I miss something important?”
Seasoned nurses carry something different.
Not always questions… but stories.
Moments that stay.
Faces that don’t easily fade.
And somewhere in between all of that… we try to rest.
But rest doesn’t come automatically.
“Be still” sounds simple.
But practicing it takes intention.
So what do we do?
We learn—gently, slowly—to lay things down.
Not because they don’t matter.
But because we matter too.
Maybe it looks like:
- Sitting in silence for a few minutes before bed
- Saying a quiet prayer
- Taking a deep breath and releasing the shift, piece by piece
- Reminding yourself: I did what I could with what I had today
You don’t have to carry everything home.Ha! This is easier said than done I tell you. Once in a while there is that one patient who touches you in a way that reminds you of why u fell in love with nursing in the first place.
And the truth is… you were never meant to.
So tonight, if your mind is still working overtime—
Pause.
Breathe.
And give yourself permission to rest.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28
