This week on At The Nurses’ Station, we went fully off the rails, and honestly? It was perfect. What started as a rant about workplace thermostats (because somehow we are still fighting temperature wars with grown adults) turned into a full conversation about cold + flu season, kid sickness culture, and the unrealistic expectations we put on our bodies.

Inside this episode, we break down:

Why parents think kids “shouldn’t” get sick this often

Spoiler: they should. Preschoolers are cute little germ sponges. They are meant to catch things — and it doesn’t mean anything is wrong.

What “sick” actually is (…and what it isn’t)

A runny nose?A cough lingering for a month?A random toddler sneeze that makes someone cancel a whole birthday party?We talk about the difference between being ill and simply being alive with a respiratory tract.

The culture of fixing everything FAST

Why we’re obsessed with “getting unsick” as fast as possible — and why that might be making things worse.

Elderberry, zinc, fire cider… do they matter?

A discussion that manages to be both respectful and brutally practical.

The real “immune booster” most people ignore

(Not a supplement. You already know.)

RSV + newborn care

A quick, honest look at the anxiety of winter viruses (especially with tiny humans), without fear-mongering.

And of course, we sprinkle in:

* Expert-level sarcasm

* ER-nurse realism

* Several moments of “what even is happening right now?”

* A few stories featuring CT, lost labs, and IV-related nonsense that every nurse has lived through

If you’re a parent, a nurse, a human, or someone who’s ever wondered why everyone suddenly thinks sneezing is a medical emergency — this one’s for you.

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This week’s episode dives straight into the deep end — grief, birthday parties, musicals, foster parenting, emotional whiplash, and what it really feels like to be the “emotional head of the household.”

It’s one of those episodes that’s tender, hilarious, chaotic, and painfully real… all at the same time.

We talk about the kind of weeks where you go from saying goodbye to a family pet, to running an eight-year-old’s Wicked-themed birthday party. And just when the emotional tank is already blinking “empty,” life asks for more.

This conversation is for anyone who’s ever carried the invisible emotional load at home, for the foster moms and foster-adjacent moms, for the nurses who know that whiplash is sometimes the most accurate emotional diagnosis, and for every parent trying to walk through big emotions with small humans.

We also get into books we’re reading right now, why some writing makes you want to scream into the void, and why not all rom-com audiobooks are created equal.

It’s honest. It’s comforting. It’s a little messy. And it’s exactly the kind of conversation we love to have here at The Nurses’ Station.

If you enjoy this episode, make sure you’re subscribed here on Substack so you don’t miss the next one. Your support truly helps keep this community going. 💛

This week, Sam and Kelly sit down with a very special guest — Sam’s dad, Alan — for an honest and hilarious look at what it’s really like to be married to a nurse.

Alan spent nearly four decades married to a night-shift ICU nurse, and he’s here to share everything he learned about patience, teamwork, jealousy, and learning to fold the laundry before it becomes a cold war.

You’ll laugh, nod, and maybe even text this episode to your spouse after hearing stories like:👨‍⚕️ How he learned that “if Mom’s not happy, nobody’s happy” — nurse edition💤 The art of protecting post-shift sleep (and why friends never get the memo)🍲 His golden rule for every nurse spouse: “Feed them before work and feed them when they get home”❤️ How jealousy almost cost his marriage — and what saved it🤣 And the infamous prank involving a nurse, a morgue, and a terrified security guard

It’s part love story, part reality check, and all heart. Whether you’re a nurse, married to one, or just trying to understand the 12-hour-shift life, this one will stick with you.

🩷 If you love hearing the real, funny, and sometimes raw side of nursing life, subscribe now to get every new episode straight to your inbox. Your shift stories deserve a place at the station too.