
A nurse finally sits down to finish documenting a patient's care. The shift has been demanding, several tasks are overdue, and there are still other patients to check on. Before the nurse can finish, a relative approaches with another request. The nurse tries to explain the delay, but the conversation turns into an argument. The relative leaves angry. The nurse turns back to the computer and continues working.
There is no time to process what just happened. There is another medication to administer, another patient to assess, and another family waiting for an update.
Later, the nurse might tell colleagues about the encounter. They might laugh about it, vent about it, or admit that they are tired of being treated this way. Then the next shift begins.