Why Nurses Need Other Nurse Friends

The Ones Who Really Get It

There’s something sacred about nurse friendships.

You could call it a group of trauma-bonded, dark-humored, like-minded people, or just your “nurse besties” — but however you define it, one thing is clear: nurses need other nurse friends.

Here’s why.

They Actually Get It

We’ve all had that moment — you start to share a story from your shift with a non-nurse friend or family member, and halfway through, you see their eyes widen in horror or confusion. You soften the details, skip the intensity, and maybe even stop talking altogether.

It’s not that they don’t care.
It’s just… they’ve never been there.

Nurse friends? They don’t flinch. They don’t need the backstory. They’ve lived it. Whether it’s a chaotic code, a heartbreaking diagnosis, or a moment of absurdity only nurses would understand — they nod, sigh, laugh, or offer silence at exactly the right time.

There’s a difference between someone saying “I get it” and someone actually getting it.

Shared Language, Shared Humor

Let’s be honest — the humor in nursing is… unique, which is an essential coping mechanism. Nurse friends understand how a dumpster fire day snack run, a sarcastic joke in the supply room, or a meme about charting can feel like therapy.

Nurse friendships are built on a shared language — of alarm sounds, inside jokes, acronyms, and unspoken glances across a chaotic room.

It’s where you can decompress without over-explaining.
Where your emotional shorthand is understood.
Where you don’t need to explain why a patient’s gratitude made you cry — or why you cried in the med room when no one else saw.

The Bond That Forms in the Trenches

Working side by side through tough shifts, scary moments, and emotional roller coasters creates a bond that’s hard to replicate elsewhere. It’s a connection built on shared stress, shared purpose, and shared resilience.

These are the people who:

Held your hand during your first code
Covered you so you could grab a snack or a cry
Laughed with you at 3am when nothing made sense
Encouraged you not to quit after a nightmare shift
Celebrated the small wins that only nurses truly understand

They become your people — your safe space, your hype squad, your post-shift decompression crew.

Don’t Do This Alone

If you haven’t found your nurse friends yet, don’t worry — they’re out there. Whether it’s coworkers who “click,” a professional group, or an online space like Nurse Uplift, there are nurses just like you looking for connection too.

Because at the end of the day, we’re not meant to carry it all alone.
We’re meant to lift each other up — in laughter, in grief, and in growth.

So here’s to the nurse friends who get it.
The ones who see the best and worst of us and stick around anyway.
The ones who help us not just survive the shift — but stay in love with the work we do.

💙 You are never alone here.

Betsy Kanz, DNP, RN, CPH