不良研究所

May 12, 2021

'It鈥檚 tough to put into words what the past year has been like as a critical care nurse'

RN Laura McKenna, BN '11 reflects on what its like working in the Intensive Care Unit at Foothills Medical Centre
Laura McKenna

鈥淣ursing was never my calling, but it鈥檚 become my passion. Any given day on the job demands my best from beginning to end as I manage the sickest patients alongside my team.

The highs are high, and the lows are low 鈥 and I鈥檓 sure that I don鈥檛 need to explain why the lows have been lower and more frequent lately.

At the best of times, working in the ICU embodies every dimension of nursing work, but it鈥檚 tough to put into words what the past year has been like as a critical care nurse. For myself, what鈥檚 seen as resilience really just amounts to dedication and professional obligation. I want to love my job again, and I want to leave every shift with the tired satisfaction of knowing that I did everything I could to provide the very best care for my patients.

But lately, I鈥檝e just been feeling tired. We are pushed to the brink when we鈥檙e at work, and then we leave to face all of the same fears and challenges as everyone else. I鈥檓 not a hero or a martyr, I鈥檓 just fighting alongside an incredible group of humans to do my best. I hope that鈥檚 going to be good enough.鈥

Laura McKenna at work in ICU at Foothills Medical Centre.