Hello fellow Nurse, this is your weekly handoff. Some quick and dirty nursing news that’s worth sharing. Enjoy!

Something to absolutely not believe

A Florida ICU nurse is facing felony charges after police say she was caught on a mission that was not on her assignment sheet. Investigators allege that on Oct. 8 she used a syringe to pull fluid from a critically ill patient's fentanyl line, even though that patient wasn't hers, and a family member reported it. Police say she came back the very next evening and started messing with the IV equipment again, and the same family member stepped in. Surveillance video reportedly shows her manipulating the protective caps on the IV tubing, though investigators couldn't confirm whether more medication was removed. She is charged with grand theft of a controlled substance, among other counts, and the charges are allegations at this point. Nothing says 'I'm not worried about getting caught' like a return visit.

Something to make you furious

New numbers on hospital executive pay are out, and you may want to sit down. The median CEO at 118 large nonprofit health systems took home nearly $4.93 million in 2024, and 17 of them cleared $10 million. NewYork-Presbyterian's CEO topped the nonprofits at more than $26 million, while Tenet's CEO pulled in over $43 million. Even the median chief nursing officer earned about $846,000, compared with roughly $93,600 for the median RN. But sure, tell us again there's no money for staffing.

Something to make us nurses proud

Suzie Macis was just a hockey fan at a Vegas Golden Knights game when a woman went into cardiac arrest on the stairs a few sections away. The off-duty ER nurse and clinical nursing supervisor ran over and performed CPR for nearly 10 minutes until an AED arrived and shocked the woman twice. The two women connected afterward through a mutual book club and have become close friends. This month, HCA Healthcare honored Macis with its 2026 Excellence in Nursing Compassionate Care Award. No scrubs, no shift, still on the job.

Something from a Subscriber

“Last month I had an 84-year-old gentleman on my med-surg floor who hadn't had a single visitor in six days. Every night around 3 a.m. he'd ring the call light, and every night it was the same thing: he didn't need pain meds or water, he just wanted to know someone was out there. So I started taking my 'lunch' at his bedside, and he'd tell me about his years as a machinist and the wife he lost, and I'd pretend I wasn't crying a little.

On my last shift before he went home, he handed me a tiny hand-carved wooden bird he'd made out of a tongue depressor and a pen cap with a pocketknife his daughter smuggled in. Yes, I know. Yes, I let it slide. It's on my badge reel now, and it gets me through every 12 when the call lights won't stop.” — Dana R., Med-Surg RN, Ohio

We want to hear more from you! Submit your funniest or strangest or most heart warming nursing stories and we will pick one to share every week! This will be shared anonymously- so don’t be afraid to add some humor and flare and cursing, just like we love here!

Please submit all stories to: [email protected]

Please be conscious of HIPAA and omit any PPI or detail that may give hints to the people, hospital, and nurses involved in your story. We may slightly alter your story or change names for this reason. Your story may also be shortened and slightly altered to fit the size of the blog. Happy writing!!

If you liked this newsletter please share with your friends. Which bullet is your favorite? What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Email me and let me know. 1f6