How do I carry the weight of decisions about my patients' safety?

You make calls about something as basic as whether a person can safely eat and drink, and you know exactly how much rides on getting it right. That weight is heavy because you understand what it means. Feeling it is not a problem to fix. It is the mark of someone who takes the trust seriously. Still, weight carried wrong will wear you down. Remember the line between your effort and the outcome. You are responsible for evaluating carefully, following good practice, and making the wisest call the information allows. You are not responsible for a perfect result every time, because no one can promise that. Give your full skill, then let the result be what it is. Do not carry it entirely alone. Lean on your team, your protocols, and the colleagues who know this weight because they carry it too. Sharing the load does not lessen your care; it makes your care sustainable. You help people keep one of the simplest joys there is. Let that meaning steady you as much as the responsibility presses on you.