The Nurse of Pain

“I came in for care, not to leave feeling worse.”  A patient shares their PMH nightmare

I don’t know her name. But I swear everybody in Princess Margaret Hospital does.

She’s not tied to one place. One minute she in the ER, next she walking through the surgical unit, next she up on maternity. Moves like a ghost, but with boots on. Soon as you see her coming down the hallway, your stomach twist.

I met her during the worst time of my life and the best the day I gave birth to my son.

I was still sore, exhausted, and bleeding when she walked in with this cold look like I owed her money. Didn’t say good morning. Didn’t ask how I feeling. Just yanked the sheets like I was wasting her time.

“You got to get up,” she snapped. “We ain’t got time to baby you. Move.”

I could barely walk. I told her I was dizzy. She rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath, then grabbed my arm so rough my stitches burned. My baby was crying in the little cot beside me, but she didn’t even look at him.

I’ll never forget what she said next: “Y’all want babies but can’t even stand up and wash y’all self.”

I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. But all I could do was hold the wall and wobble toward the bathroom while she watched me like I disgusted her. That same afternoon, I heard her shouting at another new mother like she was a child. No compassion. No patience. Just straight attitude like this was boot camp and we signed up for it.

Later, one of the cleaners whispered to me, “She been like that. Everybody scared to say something. She rough all over the hospital.”

I don’t know what that nurse been through in life. Maybe she tired. Maybe she numb. But I know this you can’t be working around people in pain and treat them like they’re your enemy.

That day was supposed to be beautiful. But because of her, it’s a memory I don’t even like to revisit. Not every wound is physical. Some nurses heal. But her? She scar.

PMH, we need better. We deserve better.