I don’t like rules and I don’t always follow them but call it what you want to and sometimes RULES are just RULES, and these are the rules.
The Rules
1. The Night Shift is a work of fiction. Realistic fiction. Fiction so real you may think it’s real. But fiction nonetheless. Even the main character, RT ElizaMarie is fiction. All the other people–also fiction, but just in case they aren’t–names have been changed to protect the innocent. Or the guilty.
2. You don’t know me. Even if you do, pretend you don’t. Anonymity is never guaranteed on the interwebs, but I’ll do my best to convince you that you don’t me.
3. You don’t know the person I am talking about. Because it’s almost a 100% chance that the person I am talking about is an amalgam of more than one person. And even if it’s not, you still don’t know that person. See rule #2
4. Nothing or no one is as it appears. [See rules 1, 2, 3, 5 & 6 for explanations]
5. HIPAA is for real. [I don’t want to lose my license before I get it or get kicked out of school before I finish]
6 I make things up…like names, details, and locations. [once again, see rule 4 for explanation]
7. The institution is the place most of the stories occur. The actual institution changes as new opportunities present themselves.
8. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental, and speaks to universal issues in healthcare. And love. And life.
9. Once again, The Night Shift is a work of fiction. Nothing mentioned should be construed as medical advice. If you need medical advice, you should probably seek advice from an actual medical professional, or call 9-1-1 in a true emergency.
10. The Night Shift is for entertainment purposes only.But it’s not a bedtime story you’d want to read to children. Or impressionable young adults.
11. Since some of these chapters take place during education events, absolutely all policies of related educational institutions were followed. Or they would be. If any of this were real.
12. Sometimes life imitates art and sometimes art imitates life. Sometimes we never know which is which.
13. I couldn’t think of any other rules or disclaimers,, but I like round numbers. Numbers divisible by 3, 5, and 10 are also acceptable. The only prime number that is acceptable is 13. It’s been my jersey number since I started T-ball at age 5. Before Taylor Swift was even born so I absolutely did not conscript that from her. Unlike every single chapter name in this story.
