Hi I'm Nurse Ade Not Your Regular Nurse

Leadership isn't about being the loudest person in the room. It's about protecting, guiding, and developing those who are learning.

A few weeks ago, an incident occurred between an intern nurse and another healthcare professional.
The intern had taken a patient's vital signs, but the healthcare professional wasn't satisfied with the readings and began criticizing the intern.
I stepped in.
I calmly said, if you're not comfortable with the readings, please assess the patient yourself.
He did. After taking the patient's vital signs, I compared his findings with those of the intern nurse. They were almost identical.
I then asked him to apologize to the intern nurse, and to his credit, he did.
Later, the intern thanked me for standing up for her.
I told her something I strongly believe:
As your senior, my responsibility is to support you, not embarrass you. Even if you make a mistake, I will never humilate you in front of others. I'll protect your dignity first, then we'll discuss the mistake privately so you can learn from it.
Correcting someone publicly often creates fear. Coaching them privately builds confidence, trust, and competence.
Our interns, student nurses, junior colleagues, and newly qualified staff are not just part of today's workforce they are the future of our profession. The way we treat them today will shape the kind of healthcare professionals they become tomorrow.
Leadership is not measured by how much authority you have. It is measured by how safe people feel when they work and learn around you.
Let's create workplaces where people are corrected with respect, mentored with patience, and treated with dignity.

STORY TIME 🩺
A young nurse was halfway through her shift when an emergency patient was rushed into the hospital after a serious road traffic accident.
As she stepped closer to assess him, her heart stopped.
She recognized his face.
Years earlier, this was the man who had physically assaulted her during a violent robbery. She had never forgotten the fear, the injuries, or the emotional scars he left behind.
Now, he was unconscious and fighting for his life.
Her colleagues called out, "Nurse, we need your help!"

For a few seconds, she stood frozen.
Should she walk away because of what he had done?
Or should she put her personal pain aside and provide the care every patient deserves?
She took a deep breath, put on her gloves, and began treating him.
Not because he deserved forgiveness.
But because she had made a professional commitment to care for those in need.

💭 Now it's your turn
If you were that nurse, what would you have done?
Would you treat the patient, ask another colleague to take over, or walk away?

Every shift is an opportunity to teach, learn, and grow.
Recently, a group of student nurses was posted to my ward. After introducing them to the ward and showing them where the essential equipment was kept, I asked one of the students to check a patient's blood pressure.
The patient immediately said, "Not Nurse A. I don't want student nurses attending to me."
I smiled and replied, "I was once a student nurse too. The only reason I am a qualified nurse today is because patients gave me the opportunity to learn under supervision.

Despite the explanation, the patient was still unwilling to cooperate. Rather than argue, I asked the students to come with me, and we continued caring for other patients.
A little while later, the same patient called me and said, Nurse A, you haven't checked my blood pressure.
I politely reminded the patient, Earlier, you weren't comfortable with the student nurses."
After a brief conversation, the patient agreed. I accompanied the student nurses back to the bedside, supervised them, and they successfully checked the patient's blood pressure.
Afterwards, I told the students

Don't be discouraged. Throughout your nursing journey, you'll meet all kinds of patients. Keep sharpening your clinical skills and remain professional. If a patient refuses to let you provide care, don't argue. Respect their decision, walk away politely, and report the situation to your supervising nurse. Another opportunity to learn will always come.

Every experienced nurse was once a student. The confidence we have today was built because someone believed in us and allowed us to learn.
patients have the right to refuse care, but student nurses should never let rejection discourage them. Under proper supervision, today's students become tomorrow's competent nurses.

THE NURSE WHO NEVER SAT DOWN

It was a busy Monday morning in the hospital. The ward was already full before 8 a.m.
A young nurse resumed her shift, hoping it would be a calm day. But immediately, reality hit.
One patient needed urgent medication. Another patient’s IV line had infiltrated. A worried mother was calling for help because her child was crying. A doctor was asking for patient files. The laboratory staff had come for blood samples.
She had not even sat down for five minutes.
As she rushed from one bed space to another, a patient’s relative looked at her and said,
Nurse, why are you always walking around? You people don’t do anything, you just like shouting.
She smiled, even though deep inside she was exhausted.
What the relative didn’t know was this same nurse had skipped breakfast. She had already checked vital signs for over 20 patients, changed wound dressings, assisted with feeding an elderly patient, answered countless questions, and was still trying to make sure nobody under her care deteriorated.
By 3 p.m., her legs were aching. By 5 p.m., she realized she had not even drunk water since morning.
Yet before going home, she stopped by the bedside of an elderly woman she had been caring for.
The woman held her hand gently and said:
My daughter thank you. I have been watching you all day. You have not rested once. God bless nurses.
At that moment, the stress disappeared for a second.
Sometimes the world sees nurses as people who just give injections.
But behind every tired face, every swollen feet, and every forced smile is someone carrying the responsibility of keeping another human being alive.
To every nurse reading this… I see you. Your work matters. ❤️

She Didn’t Know I Heard Everything”❤️🥺

A few years ago, a young nurse resumed her shift in a busy hospital ward. It had been a long day already patients calling, doctors giving instructions, families asking questions, and paperwork piling up.
In one corner of the ward was an elderly woman admitted for treatment. The nurse noticed she looked worried, so she kept checking on her from time to time.
Later that evening, as the nurse adjusted the woman’s IV medication, she heard the woman whisper to her daughter. This nurse is so kind I was scared when I came in, but the way she speaks to me makes me feel safe.
The nurse pretended not to hear and simply smiled.
Truth is that same nurse had been going through a lot herself. She was exhausted, battling personal problems, and had even thought about quitting because she felt unappreciated.
But hearing those words reminded her of something important
Sometimes, the good we do may seem small to us, but to someone else, it can mean everything.
So no matter what life throws at you, never underestimate the impact of your kindness.
You may be the reason someone chooses not to give up today. ❤️

As healthcare professionals, especially when we have loved ones admitted in another hospital, I believe we should respect the working environment and the healthcare team managing the patient.

A few months ago, I was on duty in the ward when a young woman came in asking to see a patient. I politely informed her that it was outside visiting hours. She then introduced herself as a fellow healthcare professional, so I allowed her to see the patient briefly for about five minutes.

A little later, I noticed her checking through the patient’s medications and questioning one of the drug dosages.

She said, “Nurse, my relative told me this medication was given twice this morning, but I know it should be once.”

I calmly explained that the treatment was based on the doctor’s prescription and the patient’s current condition, which was already improving. I also advised her that if she had concerns about the medications, the best approach would be to discuss them with the managing team directly.

She continued making side comments, but I chose to remain professional. Eventually, I politely asked her to leave and return during visiting hours.

This experience reminded me that professionalism is not only about what we know, but also about how we relate with colleagues in their place of work.

As healthcare providers, we should support one another, not create tension in another person’s working environment. Asking questions respectfully is fine, but talking down on colleagues or acting like a supervisor in another facility is unnecessary and can affect teamwork and patient care.

Respect, communication, and professional courtesy matter everywhere.