A Night Shift, Unedited

Hi guys, remember how I said the night-shift blog has been gathering dust in my drafts?

Yeah… I wrote it the morning after my night shift and never touched it again.

So instead of re-editing, I’m sharing it just as I wrote it....raw, tired, and honest.

So here goes....

 Hey everyone! It’s been a while, but I promise few posts are coming...within the next six weeks, or at least before the year ends. I’ve been swamped lately, but I decided to turn my recent night‑shift into a blog post.

I wasn’t thrilled about working the night shift, but since I had no choice, I figured I’d make the most of it. I spent the whole day digging into Dream Count  (still not finished, but I’ve got a lot to say about Chiamaka...save that for later). I also watched My Life with the Walter Boys; there are so many twists that I’ve been itching to drop a review on social media, even though the film came out a couple of years ago.

My day was a blur of meals, sleep, reading, and movies. At 6:15 pm I finally got out of bed, cleaned up, slipped into scrubs and crocs, tossed Dream Count into my tote (why not read on the ward?), and was out the door by 6:27pm. I arrived on the ward at 6:53pm to find just one stable patient, and the night nurse was equally excited.

I checked the patient’s drug chart, noted the meds due by 9 pm, and kept them in mind. Then I noticed a mother with a baby who was gasping. The doctors were on strike, so the child was given medication. The dad had gone to fetch more meds, but the heavy rain and a motorcycle ride made it impossible to get to a private hospital quickly. Within minutes.. the mother suddenly screamed for help, and the baby was dead🥲. She cursed herself, tried to run, and was held by the nurses as she cradled her child, moving through denial and prayer. I felt her pain...it was the first time I’d witnessed a baby die in a mother’s arms.

I tried to stay composed, remembering how I’d once broken down in class after losing a cousin for the second time. I kept reading until it was time to give meds, then grabbed some corn sticks...

Corn sticks 

I couldn't finish the corn sticks...they were a total letdown! 🤢The sour taste was overwhelming, kinda like moringa, and I wasn't having it. I gulped down some water to get the taste outta my mouth, I had administered the due meds and documented the required information on the EMR and went back to reading Dream Count past 11pm. Glad I bought 'em, though ....at least I tried, right?(they tasted like moringa...sour, but I was glad I bought them). The ward was quiet, so I took a quick nap… until three mosquitoes started singing “Dance Monkey” in my ears. I only had a cardigan, which I used to shield my ears, but the “witches” went for my foot. I’m terrible at itching...every scratch turns into a mini‑injury. I kept waking up to check on our single patient, then dozing off again until 6 am.

One of the nurses noticed how engrossed I was in Dream Count and asked if I loved reading. I said yes, and she wondered if I had any physical books to lend. Ironically, as a self‑proclaimed book lover, I didn’t have a single copy..Dream Count itself was borrowed. I offered her soft copies instead and sent her a dozen or so titles from authors like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Damilare Kuku, Adesuwa O’Man Nwokedi, and Abi Dare. She asked if I wanted to stay for the hand‑over, but I chose to go home 😂.

And that was my calm‑with‑a‑touch‑of‑emotion night shift! I started writing this on the way home, finished at 7:27 am, and will post it when the internet finally cooperates. Thanks for reading...see you in the next post! 🫠

So...there you have it.. exactly how I wrote it the next morning 🫠...but never dropped it here🫠

Byeee🤗