14/02/2026
Love on Duty And Love for All: This Valentineās Day, Letās See Every Heart
While couples line up for dinner reservations, flowers, and surprise proposals, thousands of nurses across the world are clocking in for 12-hour shifts. For them, Valentineās Day isnāt candlelight and chocolates. itās IV lines, code blues, wiping tears, and holding trembling hands at 2:00 AM.
š Who takes care of the nurse on Valentineās Day?
In hospitals, clinics, and rural health units nationwide, nurses choose duty over dates. They silence phones during patient handovers, miss anniversaries, and greet their children via video call during their breaktime. With overwhelming nurse-to-patient ratios, Valentineās Day is just another day of service, but beneath every blue and while uniform beats a heart that longs for love, appreciation, and remembrance.
We celebrate movie love stories, post sweet captions, and share photos of bouquets. But the real love story? Itās the nurse who stays overtime for a critically ill patient. Itās the nurse who skips dinner for professional meetings MDT. Itās the mental health nurse who absorbs anger yet keeps caring. This is love, not romantic, but radical.
And letās ask the hard questions: We hail nurses as heroes in crises, but do we love them enough in calm times? Do we protect them from violence, pay them fairly, ensure safe staffing, or respect their days off? Love isnāt just flowers , itās policy, protection, proper compensation, and safe working conditions.
But Valentineās Day is also about every heart among us. For those living with or struggling with mental health challenges, today can feel heavier than most. It might bring reminders of loneliness, loss, or the gap between how life looks and how it feels. Some carry quiet battles that no one sees, fighting anxiety, depression, or pain that doesnāt show on the surface.
ā¤ļø Who sees the person carrying a heavy mind this Valentineās Day?
Love means noticing when someoneās smile doesnāt reach their eyes. It means sending a message just to say āIām here.ā It means listening without judgment, or simply sitting with someone in their silence. It means recognizing that mental health struggles are real, and that being seen and cared for can make all the difference.
To every mental health nurse on duty this Valentineās Day:
You are someoneās comfort, someoneās answered prayer, someoneās last voice of hope. You deserve love that shows up for you too.
To everyone navigating mental health challenges:
You are not alone, you are valued, and your life matters deeply. There is love waiting for you, sometimes in small moments, sometimes in unexpected places.
To all of us:
This Valentineās Day, letās make love more than a gesture. Letās stand up for those who care for us, and reach out to those who need care.
If you know a nurse on duty, tag them, i just literally finished my night shift this morning and in bed about to sleep, if you know any nurse on duty message them, tell them they are seen. If you know someone struggling with their mental health, reach out even a simple āHow are you really?ā can be a lifeline.
The country survives on quiet acts of love. And every heart whether in a uniform or carrying unseen weight deserves to be held close.
To my fellow Nurses , Nurse Stella Marshal Daniel, Nurse chika my classmate during uni and bestie of life, my senior colleague Nurse Holive in whom I will always ask all the confusing questions š, Nurse Julie my classmate and colleague and many others that I cant even begin to mention. God bless you all for your hard-work on this special day. Love you all š
Happy Valentineās Day to you everyone, especially my FANS and ADMINS š
Nurse Chinel ā¤ļø