It is shaping up to be quite a summer. After a series of record-breaking heatwaves and red extreme heat warnings across parts of England in late June, another heatwave is building right now across southern and eastern England with forecasts suggesting temperatures could reach 34C this week and you are working through all of it.

Before we say anything else, we just want to acknowledge that. Working through a heatwave is not easy, especially when you are on your feet all day on a ward that was not designed with 30 degree heat in mind, or driving between community visits in weather that makes every part of the job feel that little bit harder.

This post is for you, not your patients, just you, for a moment.

Please drink some water today
It sounds almost too simple to say, but we mean it genuinely.

When you are in the middle of a busy shift, hydration is usually the first thing to go. You are focused on your patients, the next task, the handover, the thing you nearly forgot. Hours pass. You realise you have not sat down. And somewhere in the background, your body has been quietly managing the heat and the exertion with less fluid than it needs.

By the time you feel thirsty, you are already mildly dehydrated. Even at that level, concentration starts to slip, fatigue comes on faster, and the mental sharpness that nursing demands becomes that little bit harder to sustain. It is not dramatic. It just quietly makes everything harder.

You work too hard to give yourself that disadvantage. Please keep your water bottle close today.

Some simple things that help on shift
You do not need a complicated plan. Just a few small habits that are easy to build into your day even when it is busy:
- Start your shift with a full water bottle and treat refilling it as part of your handover routine. If it becomes a habit rather than an afterthought, you are much more likely to actually do it
- Drink regularly throughout your shift rather than trying to catch up at the end. Small amounts consistently throughout the day are far more effective than a large amount all at once
- Watch out for the early warning signs in yourself. A headache that creeps in mid-shift, feeling irritable or foggy, or noticing your urine is darker than usual are all signs you need to drink more
- Do not rely on tea and coffee as your main fluid source during a heatwave. Caffeine has a mild diuretic effect and while a cup of tea is not going to dehydrate you on its own, it should not be substituting water on a hot day
- On your break, reach for water-rich foods where you can. Fruit, salad, and yoghurt all contribute to your overall fluid intake and can be easier to eat than a hot meal when the temperature is already high
- If you are working in a community setting, carry more water than you think you need and try to plan visits to avoid being out during the hottest part of the day where your diary allows, roughly 11am to 3pm

Look out for your colleagues
In a heatwave it is easy for everyone to focus on getting through the shift, and the team itself can go unchecked.

The colleague who seems a bit quieter than usual. The one who has been on their feet since seven and has not stopped. The newly qualified nurse who would never say anything but is clearly flagging by the afternoon.

Checking in on each other during a heatwave week is not a small thing. It is part of what makes nursing teams so remarkable, the way people look out for each other even when everyone is stretched.

You matter too
We say this a lot, and we mean it every time. The NHS could not function without its nurses, and nurses cannot function without looking after themselves.

So drink your water, take your breaks where you can, and accept help when it is offered. If you see a colleague who is struggling, say something. A simple check-in can mean more than you know.

It is only July, and you are already doing a brilliant job. Thank you for everything you do.

From all of us at JustNurses.