I’ve spent more than two decades in emergency nursing, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that this profession changes you.

Emergency nursing has taken me from hospital emergency departments to ambulances, helicopters, disaster zones, and communities around the world. I’ve worked alongside extraordinary people, cared for patients during some of their most vulnerable moments, and experienced things that no classroom could have prepared me for.

But emergency nursing isn’t always the heroic picture we see during Nurses Week.

It’s missed holidays, meals that never get eaten, long shifts that become even longer, and difficult conversations with families. It’s walking into a room knowing you may not be able to change the outcome, but doing everything you can anyway.

It’s also carrying memories of patients long after you’ve left the hospital.

We talk a lot about resilience in nursing. We celebrate nurses who can handle anything, adapt to everything, and somehow keep going. But I’ve come to question whether we’ve confused resilience with the expectation that nurses should simply endure whatever is thrown at them.

Emergency nursing has given me opportunities I never imagined. It has also required sacrifices.

As we begin Emergency Nurses Week, I hope we take time to recognize both.

Celebrate the profession, absolutely. But let’s also acknowledge what it demands from those who choose to serve.

To my fellow emergency nurses, what has this profession taught you that you never expected to learn?

Adventures with Nurse Jamla® | Emergency Nurses Week 2026