A Chicago nurse has gone viral after sharing a late‑night moment that many healthcare workers say felt painfully familiar.
Anna Skinner, a registered respiratory therapist with more than two decades of experience, posted a short video showing herself attempting to unlock her front door using her hospital ID badge at around 3 a.m.—a simple mistake she said was the result of exhaustion after a long day caring for both family and critically ill infants.
“I work night shift, usually three 12‑hour shifts per week, but quite often, I work an extra eight to 16 hours per week in overtime,” Skinner told Newsweek. “So chasing grandchildren plus overtime shift in the NICU equals an exhausted 49‑year‑old trying to use her badge to unlock her front door.”
In a video that has been viewed by thousands on Threads, Skinner shared the moment that was caught on her doorbell camera.
It struck a chord with thousands of viewers, many of whom said the video perfectly captured the mental fog that can follow long, high‑stress shifts—especially in healthcare.
Skinner said she shared the clip because it felt “SO exhausted healthcare worker coded,” and she wasn’t surprised by the response.
“I didn’t even disclose my job, and dozens of comments said things like, ‘I just KNOW you work in healthcare,’” she said.
The post quickly drew over 60,000 likes, with commenters sharing their own stories of post‑shift autopilot moments and praising Skinner for finding humor in exhaustion.
Skinner said the video was recorded on Monday, March 23, after an unusually long day.
Earlier, she had stepped in to babysit her two toddler grandsons when their other grandmother injured her back. Afterward, she picked up a four‑hour hospital shift from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., then agreed to stay until 3 a.m. because the neonatal intensive care unit was short‑staffed.
“I have been a registered respiratory therapist for over 22 years, the majority of which has been spent working in the neonatal ICU and pediatric ICU,” Skinner said. She is board‑certified in both neonatology and pediatrics and currently works full time in a NICU.
By the time she arrived home, she said her body was running on routine rather than conscious thought.
“I was not surprised in the least when I watched the video back,” she said. “I am always doing something goofy. Nobody who knows me would expect anything different.”
Several commenters echoed that sentiment.
“I laughed out loud at this. I can see on your face how tired you are,” one user wrote. “I love that you have enough of a sense of humor to share it.”
Another commented, “Lemme guess—healthcare, right? Been there. Don’t even feel bad. I’ve tried to clock out of work with my credit card.”
A third added, “Been there, sister! Also have tried to wave my hands under the sink faucet once I got in the house to wash my hands.”
Skinner said she didn’t expect the video to resonate so widely but hopes it serves as a reminder of the long hours many healthcare workers put in—and the importance of humor in getting through it.
“I shared it because people could relate,” she said. “And boy, did they.”
