I keep seeing posts and stats saying nurses are the number one profession that cheats.
I won’t speak for everyone.
But I’m a nurse.
And yes — I’ve cheated. More than once.
Part of it was circumstantial. My ex-husband was an unemployed junkie, so the bar was already in hell. But part of it is the job itself. Nursing strips the illusion right out of you. You don’t get to pretend life is long or fair or orderly.
I used to work in a large, very posh nursing home with multiple departments. One day I was assigned to hospice, providing 1:1 care for a middle-aged man dying of lung cancer. He had his own private villa. Money. Comfort. And still — a ticking clock.
I’d take him out to the patio so he could smoke cigarette after cigarette and drink rum straight from the bottle. I’d make sure his IVs were running, his observations were stable, and then we’d just sit there. Talking. Silence. Heavy air.
At one point, he looked straight at me and said:
“Whatever doubts you’re carrying right now — fuck it. Do it. Do whatever you need to do to feel alive. Because one day, you’ll wake up and you’ll be me.”
When he fell asleep, I opened Reddit and started looking for an AP.
That AP is now my boyfriend of two years. And yes — we’re genuinely happy.
That wasn’t some dramatic turning point. It was confirmation of something nursing had already drilled into me. I’ve had elderly patients grab my hand and tell me not to waste my youth. I’ve zipped body bags. I’ve watched families collapse. I’ve seen how fast everything ends.
After enough death, you stop romanticising sacrifice. You stop tolerating misery for the sake of appearances. You start asking why we stay loyal to lives that make us feel dead.
I’m now in an ethical non-monogamous relationship with my boyfriend. I also have two female APs. They’re both married — and honestly, they’re the easiest affairs I’ve ever had. I’m just “one of the girls.”
We don’t work together, we work in different facilities.
One works in the ER.
The other is in paediatric ICU — watching children die on a regular basis.
If you think that doesn’t change how someone approaches love, sex, risk, and honesty, you’re lying to yourself.
I’m not speaking for all nurses.
I’m not justifying anything.
This is just my experience — shaped by death, proximity, and the constant reminder that time is ruthless.
Take it or leave it.
P.S: used A.I to help with grammar
Edit: for some clarification, I am happily divorced for years now and in a very happy non monogamous relationship. The point of the post wasn’t to encourage cheating but to evaluate your life as a whole.
Thank you for all the positive and warm DMs I’ve been getting. You are such lovely people 🥰
To the people sending me hate messages and threats, you’ll be blocked immediately so don’t waste your effort. Your hate is yours to keep and deal with. Peace ✌🏻
