...A Sleepy Shift...

I'm not going to lie, working night shifts at the hospital has its perks. The quiet, the sense of responsibility for lives in a different time zone, it's all quite satisfying. But there's one thing I've been struggling with recently. During my most recent rotation, I found myself dozing off more than once... I was trying to stay alert, really I was. It wasn't like I could afford to fall asleep on the job. But... between the long hours and the lack of sunlight during these late nights, it's harder to keep going without feeling like a zombie.... I tried caffeine, but sometimes even that just doesn't cut it... The guilt is overwhelming when you think about what might have happened if something went wrong while I was half-asleep. Yet there are moments when I slip into this semi-conscious state, and all the alarms, patient monitors, and bustling nurses become a distant hum....