Growing up, my mom has always been the biggest reason I want to work in the medical field. As the Director at Methodist Hospital, I watched her come home exhausted, mentally drained, and sometimes on the edge of giving up—but still showing compassion and strength the very next day. When I read Bradford Pearson’s article “Nurses Are Burned Out. Can Hospitals Change in Time to Keep Them?” I immediately saw my mom in the experiences described. Pearson explains that nurses are “severely stressed… ready to leave their jobs” because the emotional weight of caring for others has become stressful and overwhelming. Seeing that reality in my mother’s life helped me understand the seriousness of burnout in healthcare and why compassion in this field matters now more than ever.
Pearson describes how many nurses feel guilt for wanting to leave, even when they are suffering. He writes that nurses “feel extreme guilt for wanting to go, but they can’t handle the sadness that is turning into anger.” This quote reminded me of the times my mom would come home and sit in her car for a few minutes before walking inside. She always tried to hide her stress, but I could tell she felt torn between taking care of herself and not wanting to abandon the people who depended on her. Growing up around that taught me that the medical field is full of emotional challenges—not just physical work.
The article also connects to my personal goal of becoming a NICU nurse. My mom has always encouraged me toward this path because she sees how patient and loving I am with babies. But reading Pearson’s article made me understand the other side of nursing: the pressure, the emotional intensity, and the risk of burnout. Pearson mentions that burnout isn’t only about exhaustion; it becomes anger, sadness, and emotional heaviness that nurses carry back to their homes. That helped me realize that if I want to enter this field, I need to prepare for the stressful days just as much as the rewarding ones. Still, I feel called to help vulnerable newborns fight for their lives, and that calling feels even stronger knowing what nurses go through.
Research shows how serious the issue is. According to the American Nurses Association, more than one-third of nurses report feeling burnt out, especially in high-stress hospital units. Many report that they feel overworked, unsupported, and emotionally overwhelmed. This connects directly to Pearson’s claim that hospitals must “take action in time before it’s too late.” Seeing statistics like these makes my mom’s struggles make even more sense — and it motivates me to become a nurse who leads with empathy and advocates for better healthcare support.
The reason Pearson’s article stood out to me is that it put into words what I have seen most of my life since being adopted. When he highlights how burnout affects not only nurses but also relationships and mental health, it reminded me of the moments when my mom’s stress affected our home life. We have had arguments and misunderstandings, especially when she was overwhelmed. But now I realize those moments weren’t about me — they were about the emotional heaviness she had been carrying all day. Understanding that helped our relationship grow stronger and helped me appreciate everything she does, not just at home but for her patients and her hospital.
In the end, reading Pearson’s article helped me understand my mom better, and it also helped me understand what it really means to work in healthcare. It encouraged my desire to become a NICU nurse and reminded me that nursing is more than just a job—it is an emotional commitment. My mom’s strength, compassion, and resilience have shaped the person I want to become, and Pearson’s article helped me see it's important to support the healthcare system more than ever.
Works Cited
American Nurses Association. Nursing Workforce Statistics. American Nurses Association, 2024, www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/workforce/.
Pearson, Bradford. “Nurses Are Burned Out. Can Hospitals Change in Time to Keep Them?” The New York Times, 20 Sept. 2023.
Laila Sampson is an HCC student pursuing to become as a NICU nurse.