When policy came before the patient
The rule was clear, but the situation wasn’t. In that moment, choosing compassion felt more human than enforcing policy — and that choice stayed with me.
When I went with my gut
Something in my gut told me something was very wrong.
Listening to that instinct meant standing apart — but it also meant protecting someone who couldn’t speak for themselves.
When speaking up for patients came at a cost
I spoke up for patient safety because it was the right thing to do. I didn’t expect how much it would cost me — or how alone it would feel afterward.
When I said “no”
They asked if I was okay, but didn’t know what to do when I said no.
My body was in shock — shaking, bracing — with nowhere for that distress to land.