Love Like You Could Lose Them: A Travel Nurse’s Wake-Up Call

When the Healthcare Worker Becomes the Family Waiting

I was on the road visiting patients when my phone rang. My mom’s voice was trembling on the line.

“Dad was playing tennis, and they had to call an ambulance. He had a heart attack.”

My mind was racing, and my world was caving in.

Nothing Prepared Me for This Call

I have stood at the bedside of more dying people than I can count. I have managed codes, held hands through final breaths and delivered news no family ever wants to hear.

I have done all of it, and none of it prepared me for this phone call.

Was he conscious? Was he alive?

I called his phone over and over, wanting nothing more than to hear his voice.

No answer.

I rushed to the hospital without knowing what news would be waiting for me.

Did he make it in time? Was it already too late?

I did not understand why this was happening. I had always felt so blessed to have two parents who took such good care of themselves. They stayed on top of their doctor appointments, ate well, and remained active.

Why him?

When Clinical Knowledge Cannot Give You Control

I asked the medical team more questions than I can even remember in my frenzy.

As healthcare workers, we often struggle to release control in a clinical setting. We are accustomed to reviewing the information, understanding the plan, and anticipating what might happen next.

This time, I was not the nurse with the answers. I was the daughter desperately searching for them.

As many questions as I asked, there simply were not enough answers yet.

The only option was to wait.

The Longest Wait of My Life

As I sat in the waiting room outside the cardiac catheterization lab, every second felt like an eternity.

I looked around at the other families waiting for their loved ones. We all had the same expression in our eyes. The waiting. The longing. The fear.

We were strangers, but we were deeply connected. Every one of us was holding the same quiet, terrifying prayer.

I was grappling with the possibility that I might lose my dad that day. The man who had always promised me he would live to be 120.

I did not want to know a world without him.

Not now. Not yet.

Alexis held my hand while I held my mom’s.

The News We Had Been Praying For

The nurse finally emerged, and my heart dropped.

Please be good news. Please be good news.

“Your dad is out and doing well. He had a stent placed, and you’ll be able to see him shortly.”

The weight of the world lifted from my shoulders in an instant.

He was alive. He was okay.

I went into the recovery area, and I cannot remember a time when I was happier to see someone’s face. His was filled with color and life.

“Jenn Jenn!” he said as I walked in.

I have not lost the nickname, even at 37.

“Dad, how are you?” I asked through tear-filled eyes.

“Crazy day, huh?” he said, still slightly impaired from the fentanyl he had been given during the procedure.

A Second Chance

My dad went on to make a full recovery with no damage to his heart.

A piece of plaque had broken off and completely blocked his right coronary artery. The doctors said that if he had waited any longer, he might not have made it.

We brought him home two days later.

I went to my parents’ house every day for the next couple of weeks. I called every day just to hear his voice, relish his presence and savor the fact that he was still here.

Love Like You Could Lose Them

We go about our days believing we have all the time in the world with the people we love.

We take moments for granted. We postpone quality time. We prioritize responsibilities that feel more urgent. We assume there will always be another phone call, another dinner, another holiday, and another opportunity to say what matters.

Then life reminds us, without warning and without mercy, that none of it is guaranteed.

Not one single day.

Love the people in your life like you know you could lose them.

Because you could.

In the end, the only thing you will wish you had done more of is exactly that.

Make Room for What Matters Most

A travel healthcare career can open the door to meaningful work, new experiences, and more intentional choices about how you spend your time.

When you are ready to take your next step, explore opportunities that support both your career and the life you want to build.

Find your next travel healthcare assignment on the Scrub Society job board.