Washington State Nurse Stories

Emergency care

The shift that never really ends

Maya has worked the overnight shift in Harborview's emergency department for eleven years. She has seen the city at its most vulnerable — and she keeps showing up.

Maya OkonkwoHarborview Medical Center · SeattleFeatured

Oncology

Staying present when the news is hard

Daniel has spent eight years in oncology nursing. He has learned that presence — not words — is what patients remember.

Daniel ReyesMay 2025Read

NICU

The smallest patients, the biggest stakes

Priya has cared for premature infants for six years. She describes the NICU as a place where hope is measured in grams.

Priya NairMultiCare Tacoma General

Community health

Nursing where the need is greatest

Thomas returned to the Yakama Nation after his nursing degree to serve the community he grew up in. He has never considered leaving.

Thomas WhitehorseYakama Nation Tribal Health · Toppenish

What children teach you about courage

Keiko has worked in pediatric oncology for twelve years. She says her patients are the bravest people she has ever met.

Keiko TanakaFebruary 2025

Critical care

The weight of the overnight

Marcus works the overnight ICU shift. He describes the hours between 2 and 4 am as the quietest and most demanding of his career.

Marcus WebbJanuary 2025

Home health

Nursing at the kitchen table

Rosa drives the Olympic Peninsula visiting patients in their homes. She says home health is where nursing becomes most human.

Rosa GutierrezDecember 2024

Psychiatric care

The ward that most nurses never see

James has worked in psychiatric nursing for nine years. He wants people to understand what that work actually involves.

James OkaforNovember 2024

Labor & delivery

Being there at the beginning

Amara has attended more than 2,000 births. She says no two are the same, and she is grateful for that.

Amara DialloOctober 2024

Rural health

The only nurse for forty miles

Lena works in a critical access hospital in eastern Washington. On some shifts, she is the only RN in the building.

Lena SorensenSeptember 2024

Stories from Washington nurses