During the pandemic, society went through a period of deep appreciation for healthcare workers. Doctors and nurses were seen as heroes, with photos of their marked and bruised faces caused by prolonged mask usage being reposted on every social media platform.

However, some seem to have forgotten about their efforts and commitment to working long shifts to care for others once COVID-19 was no longer a threat.

But who better to remind us about the daily struggles of offering continuous, round-the-clock care for patients than nurses themselves?

In a video that went viral on social media, a group of nurses showed a before-and-after comparison of their exhausting 12-hour shifts.

A group of nurses shared a before-and-after comparison of their intense 12-hour shift

Image credits: fedotov_vs/Unsplash

While some looked cool as a cucumber, others clearly felt the strain of their arduous workday.

Nurses on 12-hour shifts typically work three days a week, and many prefer to run these days consecutively, according to the American Nurses Association (ANA).

The viral video showed the stress on their faces and their drained energy following the arduous workday

Image credits: bestviralvidz

Image credits: jordanafofanna

Image credits: bestviralvidz

Image credits: bestviralvidz

Image credits: bestviralvidz

People were quite surprised by the video showing the stressed healthcare workers, especially by one nurse whose before-and-after contrast was striking.

“What did they do to Brittany? They got a fight club in there?” asked a TikTok user.

“Brittany and Natalie need a vacation after a 12-hour shift,” someone else commented.

“I like how Brittany summarizes her entire shift by not saying a word,” said another person, while a separate individual exclaimed, “Petition for Brittany to go on a long holiday.”

“Brittany needs a hug and a raise,” someone else wrote.

Watch the video below:

@bestviralvidz Nurses Before And After Their 12 Hour Shift 😂 #12hourshift #nurse #nursesoftiktok #nurselife #nursehumor #nursetok #funny #humor #fyp ♬ original sound – Bestviralvidz

Unfortunately, these long shifts could become tougher in the future, as the United States is facing a shortage of staff that is expected to intensify, as per the ANA.

The American Nurses Association, a national organization with 4 million members, has blamed “cost-cutting decisions” and “an aging population and workforce” for fueling the staffing crisis.

Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, president of the ANA, said the negative workplace effects associated with staffing shortages require “meaningful and lasting solutions to be implemented immediately: eliminating mandatory overtime, enforceable workplace violence prevention plans, providing mental health and wellness resources for nurses [and] transparency of nurse reimbursement.”

“They deserve all the respect in the world for helping sick people,” someone commented

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