The reality is that all nurses have to cope with constant unrelenting demands from patients, doctors, pharmacists, other staff, and, of course, family members. I often feel absolutely run off my feet and I am sure that sometimes I must sound like a bad-tempered so-and-so. And many days the pressure is almost too much to bear, especially for those nurses who have very high expectations of themselves and of how they care for their patients. In fact most nurses go home after their shift wondering why they even tried, because the workload can be so overwhelming. I sometimes wish that patients and families would spare us a thought – but I know that feelings like that aren’t really right. Because they are the ones dealing with the pain, the worry and the illness. Not us! But to be fair, nurses and other NHS people are just that – people. And any human being can be forgiven for suffering from stress and overwork. I don’t know what the answer is, but I think understanding each other better would be a good start!