Chapter 1
Upon learning that nurses earned a $5‑per‑hour night‑shift differential for working overnight shifts, the patients' families banded together to write a complaint letter demanding the cancellation of the night shift allowance.
In my past life, as the head nurse of the emergency department, I led the opposition against this unreasonable demand. The night shift was never about sitting at the nurse's station killing time. It meant making rounds all night long, responding to emergencies at a moment's notice, and staying awake through the entire night when a patient's condition kept fluctuating. That night shift differential was earned through wrecked sleep cycles and frayed nerves.
But a new nurse who loved to show off stabbed us in the back. "Studying medicine is about saving lives. It's not like anyone becomes a nurse for money, right?"
My arguments were maliciously edited by the patients' families. Countless complaint letters flooded the State Board of Nursing's inbox. I tried to plead my case to my director, but she just told me it takes two to tango. My permanent position was revoked. My nursing license was wasted.
Hopeless and broken, I jumped off the rooftop.
Now, reborn, I was back at the mobilization meeting where the night-shift differential was being debated.
Faced with the proposal put forward by the family representatives to eliminate the night‑shift differential, I took a deep breath and nodded. "Fine. I studied medicine to save lives. It's not like anyone becomes a nurse for money, right?"
*****
The proposal came from the mother of Ethan Cole, a patient in Bed 3. Her son had been hospitalized for acute appendicitis. He'd spent 3 nights in the emergency observation room, and she'd stayed by his side the entire time.
"I work as a cashier at a supermarket. I'm on my feet eight hours a day, and I barely make $1,800 a month after slaving away. Nurses on the night shift just sit at the nurse's station scrolling through their phones. Why should they get an extra $5‑per‑hour night‑shift differential?
"Last time my son was in so much pain he was crying in the middle of the night. I pressed the call button three times before a nurse showed up. With that kind of attitude, they still have the nerve to ask for extra pay?"
Other family members chimed in.
"Exactly! Seeing a doctor is already expensive enough. Now we're paying for lazy nurses who sleep on the job?"
"The economy's bad. The hospital should just cut the night-shift differential and use the savings to buy more equipment. That's way more useful than keeping this around."
The families decided to file a joint petition with the hospital administration to cancel the night-shift differential for the nurses. Starting with our ER Department.
All eyes turned to Vivian Lane, a resident nurse who'd won the hospital's Most Popular Nurse award last year. She was young, pretty, and sweet-talking. She was always smiling, even when she missed a vein. She took first place.
And me, the head nurse who worked hard but got no appreciation? I came in dead last.
Vivian kept her smile in place. "Ultimately, it's up to Unit Nurse Manager, Mara Shaw. She works more night shifts and has more seniority, so she gets a bigger differential than the rest of us. She probably wouldn't be happy about this..."
"What makes you think that?" I cut her off with a perfectly timed look of surprise. "Studying medicine is about saving lives. It's not like anyone becomes a nurse for money, right?"
In my past life, I'd argued against the families the moment they raised the idea. Seeing where I stood, Vivian had jumped in and publicly shamed me with her "higher moral ground".
She'd made me look petty and self-serving, earning points with the families and the administration. Later, even though the hospital didn't cancel the differential after I fought back, the nursing director praised Vivian for her "thoughtfulness" and handed her a training slot that should have gone to someone else. Since playing the good girl paid off, who couldn't play that game?
My words made Vivian's mouth twitch. She forced her smile to hold. "Of course. I don't care about that either."
And just like that, the night-shift differential was canceled.
For the first time, I experienced an ER with no night shifts. Every day was a regular day shift—clock out on time, go home, cook, walk the dog, binge-watch shows.
In one word: bliss.
I checked the calendar. Right on schedule.
Three days after the differential was cut, I got a w******p message from Mrs. Cole.
Mrs. Cole: Ms. Shaw, after Ethan came home, his wound seems a little off. It hurts when you touch it.
Mrs. Cole: Since you're off work, could you drop by and take a look? Also bring his discharge summary and the insurance papers.
I almost laughed.
Mara: Didn't they cancel the night-shift differential? Besides, I only work day shifts now. I don't handle work messages after hours.
Mrs. Cole: You're still a nurse even without the extra pay! Don't you have any medical ethics?
