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💧You Can’t Pour From an Empty Cup: Why Taking Care of Yourself Comes First in the ER

When I first started working in the ER, people would tell me,

“You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others.”

It sounded cliché. Like something you’d read on a Pinterest quote board.

But I’ve come to realize—it couldn’t be more true.
Because if you don’t? Resentment builds. You start snapping at your coworkers. You take things way more personally than they were meant. You get foggy, drained, reactive… and frankly, not safe.

And the wild part? Sometimes it takes a few bites of food or a sip of water to bring you back to baseline.

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🍽 The Hangry Nurse Is Real

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught myself getting annoyed at everything—patients, families, even coworkers—only to realize:

“Oh. I’m starving. And I haven’t had water in 6 hours.”

Unfortunately, in the ER, there will rarely be a “perfect” time to take a lunch. The chaos doesn’t schedule around your hunger. So you have to plan ahead and advocate for yourself.

For me, starting around 11:00 AM, I begin mentally scanning my patient list—looking for a safe window to break away. That might mean:

• Knocking out a few higher-priority tasks early
• Delaying a non-urgent phone call
• Catching up on charting after my body is refueled

Even if it’s 10 minutes instead of 30—it’s possible.

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💦 Hydration Is Not Optional (No, Seriously)

You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to forget to drink water until your head is pounding. So here’s what works for me:

• I bring a massive water bottle to work. One I won’t need to refill halfway through the shift (because, spoiler: I won’t).
• I keep it at the nurses station with a straw lid—so I can sneak in sips while charting. Yes, I know. No food or drink at the desk.
  But listen—I will break that rule forever. For my own health. Period.
• If I’m falling behind, I’ll chug some between patients or during a quick walk to the med room.

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🚽 Pee Breaks Are Sacred

Let me say it louder for the nurses in the back:

Pee breaks are not a luxury—they’re a reset.

Sometimes the 90 seconds I spend in the bathroom are the only time I’m alone, without alarms, phones, or someone needing something from me.

Even if I don’t need to go—I go.
Just to breathe. Just to be alone with my thoughts.
It helps more than you’d think.

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🧠 Taking Care of You = Taking Better Care of Them

When I’m fed, hydrated, and grounded, I’m:

• More patient with the person screaming at me
• More clear-headed during a rapid response
• More compassionate with families on the worst day of their life

Self-care isn’t selfish.
It’s actually one of the most important clinical skills you can have.

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💬 Let’s Talk

What do you do during a shift to take care of yourself—mentally, physically, emotionally?
Drop it in the comments—I’m always looking for new ways to protect my energy (and sanity).