The Power of Presence: The Nurse Who Stayed, but Where Does She Go to Rest?

The moment my mother took her last breath, everything in my world changed. Grief swept in like a wave I couldn't outrun. The hospital lights felt too bright, the walls too quiet, and I felt impossibly small. In that moment, I didn't need a medical explanation or a plan. I needed comfort, presence, and grace. And a nurse gave me all three. I don't know her name. I can't recall her face clearly. But I remember how she made me feel.

She found me sitting alone in the hallway after the code was called and the machines fell silent. I was shaking. My thoughts were scattered. She didn't try to rush me through my grief or fill the space with words; she offered to let me go into the room where my hero was, lifeless. I lay on top of my mother, grabbing her limp arms, begging her to hold me, but her arms would fall back down. The nurse grabbed my mom's arms, held them wrapped around me, and stood there, silently weeping. When my legs failed me, she held me up. When I couldn't speak, she understood. When I couldn't breathe, she reminded me to. That nurse didn't just care for my mother; she cared for me. She stayed past her shift, her eyes tired, but her spirit steady. And when I looked into her eyes, I wondered: Who sits with her when she's hurting?

The Weight of Soul Work in Nursing

That moment shaped the nurse I am becoming. It taught me that nursing is more than medicine and charting: it's soul work. But soul work is heavy. The emotional weight of loss, trauma, and responsibility that nurses carry every day can be invisible to those around them. We witness the last breath of a stranger, break devastating news, and absorb the grief of families, all while racing the clock in understaffed hallways.

It is no wonder that nurse burnout is at an all-time high. We are trained to respond quickly, to care selflessly, and to move on to the next patient without ever stopping to process our own pain. But ignoring the toll only deepens the wound. The truth is: we can't pour from an empty cup.

That's why I advocate for mental health awareness, stress management, and proactive burnout prevention in nursing. It's not just about preventing turnover; it's about saving the lives of those who save others.

I had already worked in emergency medicine, following in my mom's footsteps as an EMT; however, I decided I wanted to become a counselor. I began school, majoring in psychology, the semester before my mother passed, but the week after her funeral, I changed my major to nursing. The nurse who loved a stranger now saves others through my hands. She doesn't even realize how large a ripple she made in that hour, but where does her tidal wave of support come from? I became an advanced certified LVN in the Emergency Room, and I knew I was meant to be more than just a nurse. It wasn't just about trauma response, medications, or protocols anymore. It became about people, their grief, their families, their final moments. I wanted to be a nurse who could bring peace into pain, even when nothing else could be done. I believe that the best nurses don't just heal, they honor. They honor the lives we lose, the families we serve, and the moments that matter most. I hope to be that kind of nurse. One who brings compassion into chaos. One who stands firm when others are breaking. One who can sit with someone in their deepest grief and make them feel seen. To commit to these beliefs, I know the importance of self-care.

Finding Strength Through Mindfulness

To address this, I developed a quality improvement project that focused on the mindful habit of choosing a color each morning and intentionally identifying five items of that color throughout the day. This activity was designed to foster mindfulness and redirect attention away from stressors and toward the present moment, present with yourself and the beautiful world around you, outside of the hospital walls.

I implemented the daily mindfulness intervention over a 21-day period. Each morning at 7 a.m., I selected a color and spent the day identifying five items matching that color. This simple practice promoted present-moment awareness and helped shift focus from stress-inducing thoughts, consistent with evidence from Foreman (2023), who found that mindfulness-based stress reduction effectively decreases stress and emotional exhaustion among nurses. Throughout the implementation, I tracked my daily stress levels on a 110 scale and recorded my emotional state each evening, noting changes in mood and coping ability. The intervention was practical and easily integrated into my routine, leading to a gradual decrease in reported stress levels and improved emotional balance.

I learned that small, intentional habits can significantly reduce stress, improve focus, and help me feel more grounded. Redirecting my attention toward simple, mindful observation enabled me to cope more calmly throughout the day. I plan to continue using mindfulness techniques during high-stress periods and explore additional strategies to support present-moment awareness.

Honoring Patients, Families, and Self

Since the day I lost my mother, I've committed myself to nursing with a heart rooted in service and resilience. I returned to school to pursue my Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Texas at Tyler. I serve with the Smith County Community Emergency Response Team and volunteer with the American Red Cross, helping others in their own moments of crisis. My dedication has earned me membership in Phi Theta Kappa and the National Society of Leadership and Success. But more than any award or title, what drives me is the memory of that nurse and the way she held space for my pain when I had nothing left to hold onto.

Losing my mother was the greatest pain I've ever experienced. But from that loss, I found my purpose. And through my purpose, I will honor her for the rest of my life. I found the importance of self-care as a nurse and as a student. I will remain steadfast to my dedication by implementing and evaluating my own personal self-care so that I may be the solid ground for someone when their legs are too weak to stand. I will never forget where it all started: in a quiet room, with a tired nurse who chose to sit with me. I hope to carry her legacy and protect it through a conscious dedication to myself and my ability to pour into others what she offered to me.

References:

Foreman, S. (2023). The Use of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction to Reduce Stress and Burnout in Nurses. MSN Capstone Projects. Paper 262. https://scholarworks.uttyler.edu/nursing_msn/262/

About the Author:

Heather Brooke Davis is an advanced certified LVN with experience in emergency and correctional nursing and is currently pursuing her BSN at the University of Texas at Tyler. She volunteers with the American Red Cross Disaster Response Team and the Smith County Emergency Response Team and also serves as an American Heart Association BLS instructor. Heather was honored as an undergraduate finalist in the CEUfast Scholarship program, reflecting her dedication to advancing in the nursing profession. To her, nursing is more than a career, it is a calling to bring hope, strength, and compassion into moments of fear and uncertainty. With the love and support of her husband and three children, she pours her heart and soul into this work, striving every day to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those she is privileged to serve.

Heather is an independent contributor to CEUfast's Nursing Blog Program. Please note that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog post are solely those of the independent contributor and do not necessarily represent those of CEUfast. This blog post is not medical advice. Always consult with your personal healthcare provider for any health-related questions or concerns.

If you want to learn more about CEUfast's Nursing Blog Program or would like to submit a blog post for consideration, please visit https://ceufast.com/blog/submissions.