The Physics of Fear: Why RNs Should Trust Their Momentum​

Manila, Philippines 

Friday, January 9, 2026

When your intent is clean, there is zero friction. You don't have to spend energy 'maintaining' a story. You just let the pendulum swing. If you're exhausted right now, ask yourself: Am I tired from the work, or am I tired from the 'push'?

Have you ever seen a pendulum experiment? A heavy weight is held inches from someone’s face and released. It swings away, gathers speed, and then rushes back toward them. At the last microsecond, it stops just hair-breadths away from their nose.​It looks like magic, or extreme bravery. But it’s actually the Law of 

Conservation of Energy.​

The Science of the Swing

​In physics, energy cannot be created or destroyed. When you hold that pendulum to your nose, you’ve given it a set amount of Potential Energy (PE = mgh). When you let go, it converts to Kinetic Energy (motion). Because the universe demands a "tax" in the form of air resistance and friction, the pendulum actually loses a tiny bit of energy during the trip.​It is physically impossible for the weight to swing higher than the point where it started—unless you give it a push.

​Life at the Bedside is a Pendulum​

As a nurse, you are constantly releasing "pendulums." You launch a plan of care, start a difficult conversation with a family, or initiate a life-saving intervention. We often watch anxiously as the "weight" swings back toward us. We fear the consequences of our actions, wondering if a mistake, a doctor's reaction, or a patient outcome will come back to hit us in the face.​But here is the truth for the clinical floor: If you start with clean intent, you have nothing to fear from the return.​

Tales of the Return Swing: Nursing Lessons

​1. The "Clean Release" (Protected Professionalism)

In the experiment, the only way to get hurt is to push the weight. In nursing, we "push" when we let ego, shortcuts, or defensiveness drive our care. A "clean release" is doing the right thing when no one is looking.​

The Med-Error Save: Earlier this year, a nurse realized they administered a medication ten minutes late. Instead of "pushing" the clock—charting it as on-time to avoid a manager’s glare—they performed a clean release. They notified the provider and documented the actual time. The "return swing" wasn't a write-up; it was the doctor’s increased trust. When a larger systemic issue occurred months later, that nurse’s word was considered gold, protecting their reputation when it mattered most.

​2. Respect the Friction (The Tax of Compassion Fatigue)

We often get frustrated when our momentum slows down. In physics, this is entropy and friction. In nursing, slowdown isn't a failure; it’s a sign of the physical and emotional "tax" the job takes.​

The Graceful Exit: After a traumatic unsuccessful resuscitation, one nurse felt the "friction" of grief. Instead of "pushing" through to the next task with a numb heart, they took five minutes for a quiet step away to breathe. While others stayed in a cycle of high-cortisol agitation (entropy), this nurse’s acknowledgment of the friction allowed them to finish the shift with clarity. They didn't burn out because they didn't fight the physics of their own exhaustion.​

3. The "Extra Push" Backfires (Tainted Energy)​The Shortcut 

Specialist: A veteran nurse began "pushing" for efficiency by skipping double-checks on high-alert infusions. The pendulum swung out, and for weeks, they looked like the most "efficient" person on the unit. But because they added the "extra push" of negligence, the return swing was devastating. A simple pump malfunction occurred—something a proper check would have caught—and because they lacked "clean energy," they were left defenseless during the investigation. The "push" for speed became the blow that halted their career.​

The Nurse’s Pendulum Audit: 3 Questions for Your Shift

​Before you let go of the rope on your next clinical decision, put it through this physics-inspired check:​

The Force Check: Is this a Release or a Push? Am I acting out of clinical integrity (Release), or am I trying to force a shortcut or an ego-driven outcome (Push)? If you don't push, the backswing can't hurt you.​

The Friction Forecast: Am I Prepared for the "Tax"? 

This shift will drain you. Will you quit when your initial Kinetic Energy fades, or will you add "Maintenance Energy" (hydration, 3 deep breaths, or a quick debrief) to keep the swing steady?​

The Anchor Point: Is My Stance Stable? Am I grounded in my "Why" and my nursing standards? If you move your anchor point (compromise your ethics) mid-swing, the laws of the universe can no longer protect you from the backswing.

​The Bottom Line​

Trust the laws of your profession. If you are standing on solid ground and acting with "clean energy," the chaos of the hospital can swing right up to your nose and it won't break you. You are protected by the very laws that keep the universe—and the best healthcare systems—in motion.​

Untitled (3000 x 2500 px) by apollo mnl