Pull the Damn Alarm: E11

The Second Shift - Show Notes Episode Overview The episode opens at 7:15 a.m. in the ICU, with a red light flashing in room eight during a routine fire drill. What follows is a thirty-second hesitation before pulling the alarm, despite already knowing exactly what needs to happen. That pause becomes the frame for the episode’s central theme: permission. The discussion covers why so many nurses wait for permission that was never really anyone else’s to give, whether the decision is leaving the bedside, saying no to a shift, or telling a manager the truth about the workload. Nurses.org data on bedside burnout and a client story mirror that same hesitation, landing on the episode’s core line: the only signature required on a permission form belongs to the person holding the pen. Key Takeaways * The hesitation before a hard decision often is not about ability or a plan. It is about waiting for someone else’s permission. * 43% of nurses report wanting to leave the bedside within the next year, and 41% stay only for the paycheck (Nurses.org). * Permission is not handed over. It gets taken back one decision at a time. * Feeling unmoved even when life looks right on paper is not ingratitude. It is information. * Certainty is not a prerequisite for moving forward. Certainty comes with movement. Questions to Sit With * Whose voice is actually being waited on to say it is okay? * What decision has been sitting unresolved for six months, two years, or longer? * What would change this week if the wait for that voice simply stopped? Notable Moment Standing in front of the fire alarm panel during a monthly fire drill, running through a checklist, a charge nurse simply gives the instruction to pull it. No permission slip gets requested. The permission assumed to be necessary was never anyone else’s to give. Share This Episode For anyone this episode names something for, sharing it with a nurse who needs to hear it is encouraged. New episodes of The Second Shift publish weekly. Comments and topic requests are welcome. Resources Mentioned * The Break Room: monthly community gathering for nurses. Subscribe on Substack for access. * Bedside and Beyond Guide: resume support and 4 AI prompts to help you translate your skills and get past AI screening. * Book a 1:1 call with Patrick. Connect Patrick LaRose, DNP, MSN/Ed, RN, NC-BCThe Second Shift on Substack - Once a nurse, always a nurse. Stay strong. Take the Next Step ☕ Schedule a Conversation, Nurse to Nurse: thirty minutes, real, honest, no fancy frameworks. Book here 🔔 The companion podcast: 💬 Join the conversation: leave a comment on this post. 🔔 Subscribe to The Second Shift for a new essay plus episode every week. About The Second Shift The Second Shift is a newsletter plus podcast for nurses who carry the weight of caring for 12 to 14 hours, then come home to begin a second shift. This is the shift no one sees, one that is equally important. I have lived this story. As a coach, I create space for nurses built on real, honest conversations: a plan that moves you from chaos to a life you feel alive inside of again. Patrick LaRose, DNP, MSN/Ed., RN, NC-BC Board-Certified Coach | Life Coach lifenursecoach.com The Second Shift is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Second Shift at simplypaddy.substack.com/subscribe