effect of being around people who equate self-sacrifice with dedication
taking time off does not automatically mean you are careless, unserious, or failing your patients and the existence of sick babies does not erase your humanity, your limits, your need for rest, or your right to have a life outside the hospital.
There’s also an important distinction between
being genuinely negligent toward patients, and
setting normal professional boundaries like taking approved leave, resting, recovering, or protecting your mental health.
Comments like “realize what’s important” or “you’re not serious enough” can create guilt. people unconsciously normalize chronic overwork, never switching off, feeling responsible for everything,
and shaming colleagues for stepping back.
That culture can sound morally righteous while still being unhealthy.
A responsible clinician is not someone who never takes leave. A responsible clinician is someone who practices safely, thinks clearly, and can sustain the work long-term. Exhausted, emotionally depleted doctors are not better for babies.
My entire worth is not measured by constant availability.
And if someone is trying to make you feel morally defective for taking legitimate time away, that says more about their beliefs around work and sacrifice than about your character.