A Day in the Life of a Pediatric ER Nurse
Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system and an integral part of our communities. This year, Premier Protein launched a program to help these hardworking professionals find moments of joy — and much needed nutrition — in their busy days.
Bringing Joy to the Caretaking Journey
May 6–12, 2025 is National Nurses Week and we’re so proud to celebrate by announcing our Shakes for Shifts program. We’ve partnered with the American Nurses Association to maximize our impact and support nurses across the country.
Nurses are facing many challenges today. From burnout to mental and physical health struggles, coupled with the rise in demand to support people with chronic conditions, nurses have never been in greater need or under more stress.
That’s why we created Shakes for Shifts. Whether they're on the frontlines at hospitals, nursing homes, or caregiving in their own homes or communities, the program is our way of showing caretakers our gratitude and reminding them to take a moment to care for themselves.
Meet a Pediatric ER Nurse Powered by Premier Protein
Natalie Cotton Wilson, one of our Premier Shakers, found her calling in nursing a couple different ways, thanks to her family. Her mother has been a surgical nurse on and off for more than 40 years.
“Growing up, I saw firsthand the difference a nurse could make, not just in medicine, but in holding space for someone’s pain, fear, and healing,” she says.
But she wasn’t just inspired by her mom’s career. When Natalie was 13 years old, her father had open heart surgery.
“I remember being terrified. [Seeing] his chest covered in glue and sutures, tubes everywhere, beeping machines surrounding him. But what I also remember, so vividly, was his cardiac nurses. They didn’t just care for him. They cared for me, a scared adolescent sitting by his bedside,” she says. “Their calm, their confidence, their compassion—It made me feel safe when everything else felt shaky.”
Natalie, a married mom of two, currently balances her career as a nurse with graduate school as she prepares to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. We asked her to take us through a day in her life as a pediatric emergency room nurse and tell us how Premier Protein plays a role.
Natalie’s Day in the Life: A 12-Hour Shift
“Premier Protein isn’t just a part of my routine—it’s a full-blown survival strategy. Every single day starts with my sacred ritual: iced coffee mixed with a Premier Protein shake — usually Café Latte,” says Natalie.
“I work noon to midnight in a busy pediatric emergency room and level 1 trauma center. A day in the life of a Pediatric ER nurse is organized chaos, protein-packed snacks, and running on caffeine and electrolytes.”
“Every shift is different, but one thing stays the same: it takes intention to nourish myself so I can show up fully—for my patients, my team, and my own wellbeing. And even more importantly, my family the next day!”
While no shift is exactly the same, Natalie says her days typically look something like this:
11am - Natalie finishes up at the gym and enjoys a post-workout protein shake before heading to the hospital.
12pm - She clocks in and begins her shift.
2:30 pm - “I’m either elbow-deep in the trauma bay with critically injured kiddos or speed-triaging in a waiting room that’s bursting at the seams. If the trauma bay lets me breathe, I have turkey slices and my ride-or-die dill pickles. I live for the salty crunch.”
5pm - Natalie has another coffee + Premier shake combo “for that mid-shift survival boost.”
6:30 pm - She’ll have a quick, cozy dinner. “Some kind of veggie soup and chicken. Usually from a can, because I’m all about cheap, clean and quick.”
7:00 pm - Go-time in triage begins and continues through the end of her shift. “I’m hydrating like crazy with water and electrolytes to keep the fog (and leg cramps) away. Or at least trying to.”
10:00 pm - She’ll have carrots and peanut butter for “a late-shift crunchy-and-creamy combo.”
12:30 am – Natalie’s shift is over. She’ll have an apple and protein bar in the car on the drive home, “decompressing in the dark listening to my favorite podcast —it’s my college girlfriends yapping—and grateful exhaustion.”
A Caregiver’s Calling
It takes a special person to do the day described above over and over again — but Natalie is able to balance the difficult moments with the rewarding ones.
“Pediatric ER Nursing is a job that breaks your heart and fills it up all in the same breath,” says Natalie.
“The most challenging part of my job, without question, is caring for families on the worst day of their lives. As a nurse, you carry that weight with them. You hold space for their grief while trying to hold yourself together. And some days, that’s the hardest part—staying present, staying soft, and still doing your job with skill and clarity.”
“But on the flip side? The most rewarding part is witnessing just how wildly resilient kids are. Watching a child bounce back from something terrifying with a smile, a joke, or a popsicle in hand? That’s the kind of hope that keeps me going. It’s those moments of joy and grit in the middle of chaos that remind me why I do this work. It’s heartbreaking, it’s beautiful, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Are you a nurse or do you have a nurse in your life? Follow our Instagram where we’ll host giveaways for nurses to receive a Shakes for Shifts care package for their unit. Tag us in your nursing stories at @PremierProtein.