An Impossible Choice, a poem
“It’s been more challenging than normal lately,” she said.
“I’m only one person. It's a struggle for me to say no, but I can’t do everything that’s being asked of me right now.”
This person was a nurse leader. On a personal level, she felt very connected to her community and the hospital where she worked and was born. But in her professional role, she felt isolated and stressed, without enough resources and peer support from others in similar leadership roles.
She shared that her work felt less rewarding lately, even though she still cared deeply about her profession and her patients. “They are what keep me coming back,” she said.
An Impossible Choice
This was my dream as a child --
not to work at just any hospital,
but to work at this hospital
where my mom was a nurse,
where I was born,
where I became a mom.
Where every day
I witness miracles
supporting the development
of the littlest littles;
supporting their families
during the toughest trials.
My roots here run deep,
but lately, there’s no reprieve
from the overwhelm
from the overwork
from the need.
Too many hats,
too many tasks --
can’t care well for others;
can’t care well for myself.
Do I let something fail
to give myself a break?
Or just keep doing it all
for the patients’ sake?
An impossible choice
when I need both
to keep doing
what I love.
