Back to Shift, But Never the Same: A Nurse’s Quiet Return After Loss

There’s no perfect way to return to work after loss. Especially when your job is to hold space for other people’s pain.

I recently experienced a miscarriage. It was early, but it wasn’t “just” anything. It was my baby, my hopes, my what-ifs. And while the world didn’t pause, my world did—for a moment, a week, a long breath I’m still taking.

Now I’m back on shift. The monitors still beep. The patients still call out. The charting still piles up.

But something inside me feels different.

Grief comes quietly between assessments. It sneaks in during coffee breaks. Sometimes, it’s just a heaviness I carry in my scrubs—one that no one can see.

If you’re a nurse who’s ever returned to work carrying silent grief—whether it’s a miscarriage, a breakup, burnout, or just the weight of life—I want you to know:

✨ You’re not weak for showing up.

✨ You don’t owe anyone an explanation.

✨ You’re allowed to care for others while quietly healing yourself.

For now, I hold space for both: the caregiver and the grieving mother. And I remind myself—there is power in showing up softly.

If you’ve been here too, I see you.

With heart,
Leonor