Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Thank you nurses, for rushing in when we need you most

Jeffrey McWilliams, MD
Conditions
April 13, 2020
4K Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

Months ago, it was in the distance.  International hints of a contagion, a virus in China.  We heard it all too many times, desensitized by the occasional threats, conspiracy theories, and Hollywood depictions.

“It’s fiction.  It could never happen to us.”

Fast forward to today, and it is staring us in the face with nostrils flaring.  We are on the frontlines, fighting an enemy that has invaded every aspect of our life.  We watch the evolution of treatment strategies, uncertainties of transmission, and susceptibilities.  It’s frightening. It’s real. It’s here.

As an emergency physician, I’m a frontline spectator of something that you can’t truly ever prepare yourself for.  We are still defining the enemy that is grasping our friends, families, and colleagues as we hold the line for society.  Through this all, one thing has held constant.  One glaring anchor has been a constant light during this darkest storm.  Nurses always rush in.  We are fighting an enemy of uncertainty, of fear, of breathlessness.  Anxieties are at their peak as the battle rages on.  The stakes are high, the highest our generation has ever experienced, yet the nurses always rush in.  It’s their calling to save the lost, be with the dying, and advocate for the voiceless.

As a physician, you motivate me; you inspire me.  We are in a battle, the smoke has yet to clear, and further enemy advancements are yet to come, yet you always rush in.  You rush in for society, for us all, waving the flag with a rallying cry.  I know you, you’re my wife, my sister, my brother in law, and best friends.  I’ve always known you, but now I truly see you for who you are.  You’re our society’s servant leader, the advocate with selfless courage.  When the dust settles, and we are victorious, I’ll never look at you the same again.

As an emergency physician, a father, and a husband, thanks for inspiring me.  Thanks for doing what you’ve always done.  Thanks for rushing in when we need you most.

Jeffrey McWilliams is an emergency physician who blogs at Advocates Of Excellence.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Addressing the social isolation problem one step at a time

April 13, 2020 Kevin 2
…
Next

The impact of removing numerical scores from USMLE Step 1

April 13, 2020 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: COVID, Emergency Medicine, Infectious Disease

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Addressing the social isolation problem one step at a time
Next Post >
The impact of removing numerical scores from USMLE Step 1

More by Jeffrey McWilliams, MD

  • True happiness and fulfillment come in servitude of others

    Jeffrey McWilliams, MD
  • This doctor defines himself as a Christian, not a physician

    Jeffrey McWilliams, MD
  • Modern health care and the Burger King mentality: Sometimes you can’t “have it your way”

    Jeffrey McWilliams, MD

Related Posts

  • Where is the nurses’ lounge?

    Trisha Swift, DNP, RN
  • Nurses Week. Always and forever.

    Debbie Moore-Black, RN
  • Why nurses must help lead the NHS

    Dr. Ben Janaway
  • Nurses are in need of racial healing

    Janice Phillips, PhD, RN and Katie Boston-Leary, PhD, MBA, RN
  • Tips for nurses from a patient who was one

    Catherine Ring Saliba, BSN
  • I speak for the nurses

    Emily Weston, FNP-C, RN

More in Conditions

  • Changing the pediatric care landscape: Integrating behavioral and mental health care

    Hilary M. Bowers, MD
  • Unlocking the secret to successful weight loss: Curiosity is the key

    Franchell Hamilton, MD
  • The teacher who changed my life through reading

    Raymond Abbott
  • Revaluating mental health assessments: It’s not just the patient you should consider

    Tomi Mitchell, MD
  • Breaking down barriers: How technology is improving diabetes management in underserved communities

    Anonymous
  • Yoga and self-care won’t cure my Crohn’s disease

    Kristen L. Cole
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the stigma: Addressing the struggles of physicians

      Jean Antonucci, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of misery in medicine: a practical guide

      Paul R. Ehrmann, DO | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Why are doctors sued and politicians aren’t?

      Kellie Lease Stecher, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Unlock the power of physician compensation data in contract negotiations [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From pennies to attending salaries: Why physicians should teach their kids financial literacy

      Michele Cho-Dorado, MD | Finance
    • From solidarity to co-liberation: Understanding the journey towards ending oppression

      Maiysha Clairborne, MD | Physician
    • Changing the pediatric care landscape: Integrating behavioral and mental health care

      Hilary M. Bowers, MD | Conditions
    • Contract Diagnostics is the only firm 100 percent dedicated to physician contract reviews

      Contract Diagnostics | Sponsored
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Pregnant, Black? Here's Your Drug Test
  • Progestin-Only Birth Control Linked to Small Increase in Breast Cancer Risk
  • Fatty Acid Tube Feeding May Backfire for Preemie Breathing Disorder
  • Case Reports Detail Vision Loss Linked to Recalled Artificial Tears
  • Admin Trumps Med Students: Anti-Abortion Group Allowed on Campus

Meeting Coverage

  • Outlook for Itchy Prurigo Nodularis Continues to Improve With IL-31 Antagonist
  • AAAAI President Shares Highlights From the 2023 Meeting
  • Second-Line Sacituzumab Govitecan Promising in Platinum-Ineligible UC
  • Trial of Novel TYK2 Inhibitor Hits Its Endpoint in Plaque Psoriasis
  • Durable Vitiligo Responses With Topical Ruxolitinib
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the stigma: Addressing the struggles of physicians

      Jean Antonucci, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of misery in medicine: a practical guide

      Paul R. Ehrmann, DO | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Why are doctors sued and politicians aren’t?

      Kellie Lease Stecher, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Unlock the power of physician compensation data in contract negotiations [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From pennies to attending salaries: Why physicians should teach their kids financial literacy

      Michele Cho-Dorado, MD | Finance
    • From solidarity to co-liberation: Understanding the journey towards ending oppression

      Maiysha Clairborne, MD | Physician
    • Changing the pediatric care landscape: Integrating behavioral and mental health care

      Hilary M. Bowers, MD | Conditions
    • Contract Diagnostics is the only firm 100 percent dedicated to physician contract reviews

      Contract Diagnostics | Sponsored
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today iMedicalApps
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...