CHAPTER FOUR: I See It Now, I See It All Now

The Truth Beneath the Surface

I remember those shifts that felt like family, filled with purpose, camaraderie, and a shared will to survive. But beneath the warm glow of nostalgia lies a colder truth.

The push for us to answer call lights faster was never about compassion. It was about cutting corners.
We were told there was a nursing shortage, but it was always about the budget.
Staying late to chart was labeled a “time management issue,” not a staffing crisis.

I see it now.
I see it all now.

It was never about teamwork.
It was about profit.

And I was too tired, too trusting, and too devoted to notice, or to question it.

We’ll talk more about that soon.

But first, I need to share my story with you, the story of a nurse who was assaulted by a patient. A nurse who placed her trust in the healthcare system, in her leadership, and in the legal system… only to be betrayed by all three.

I want you to hear it, not just for me, but for every nurse who has felt the chill of abandonment when we needed protection and support.
For every nurse who has been told to toughen up, keep quiet, or “be a team player” while facing risks that no one should ever face.

This should never have happened.
And yet, it happens every day.

Lawyers are so accustomed to defending institutions that they often forget how to protect the individuals within them.
The warning signs were there, that unsettling feeling when something is off or unjust, but I trusted them. Our concerns were brushed aside, dismissed as “just part of the job.”

But it was wrong.

So I need you to read this.
Hear it.
Heed it.

Because this could be you next if you don’t heed my warning.

It all began on the day of my shift…

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