bad day

Nurses are like teachers. 

We buy stickers and paper and junk

That we need for the kiddos. 

Like sheets and supplies. 

Some medical, some just for fun,

And various sundry items. 

Well, these “love gifts” are

not always welcome. 

It’s a crap shoot what parents want

And what makes them flip out. 

It feels like walking through

The murk and the mire. 

Sucks when you’re trying to help

And the joke is on you. 

Humiliation. 

So I had a little bit of a 

Panic at work yesterday. 

We moved all the furniture 

and all the supplies 

Out of this kids room and cleaned. 

I don’t like to start projects late on the day

But it does happen. 

I don’t mind the work. 

It’s hard to drop what your doing 

And go to Plan B when no one

Can say for sure what Plan B is.  












I told the mom I needed to step out. 

And I did some Square Breathing. 

Slow count in for 4…

Hold for 4 counts…

Blow out 4 counts…

Expiratory pause for 4 seconds. 

I also did “5 Sounds.”

I teach this to my patients. 

Stay still. Get still. 

And listen. 

Listen for 5 things. Any things! 

So it might be a car going by. 

A machine. A dog barking. 

It takes a moment to hear them. 

But in that moment you can 

slow down and get back in control. 

So in the midst of my meltdowns 

A parakeet flew into the house! 

They caught it and kept it. 

It was a nice change of pace. 

There is a part of me

- the part that walks away - 

That I was fighting with. 

I’m not sure how to handle 

anything anymore. 

I didn’t walk away 

so it’s a good start.