Work / Life Balance
I admit nursing isn't what I expected when I was a nursing student. I imagined a world where I could combine my love of helping people with a technical career to earn a pretty good living. While I wasn't wrong, it did take longer than I expected and the atmosphere at times is unsettling.
However, despite going into nursing at a bad time and not always being what I want it to be, I do love my job. I know this is an unpopular opinion given nursing shortages, toxic environments, and an unforgiving public. However, I LOVE MY JOB.
My first job was in Rehab, to say that I hated it is an understatement. It wasn't the job, it was the hospital system. Following that, I considered leaving nursing altogether. I took a nursing personality quiz and discovered that I should try ICU or ER and I have never looked back.
Working nights in the ER is a lot, but it is my mothership. Finding a staff that I jelled with and that supports each other is key for me. I want to be part of a team. It is partly what was wrong with my first job. No one helped each other there and it was an atmosphere of everyone was for themselves.
I am very busy but I have found ways to increase my work-life balance and truly live my best life.
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SLEEP. Black out your windows. Whether it's curtains, blinds, or paint, good sleep is critical. If you are tired you will not be living your best life. 6-8 hours of sleep is the suggested amount of sleep to stay healthy.
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Exercise does the body good. It lowers your chance of injuries and helps you sleep better. We do the stairs on work nights. I do the gym on my off days. Exercise also helps to reduce stress.
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Meal prep, meal prep, meal prep. Eating good food is critical. Junk food is in abundance in the ER. It's okay to indulge sometimes but make sure you eat right because you will definitely eat less junk food.
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Take vitamins. No explanation is needed. Just do it. You'll feel better.
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Drink water. Nurses are famous for having many drinks with them. My perfect combo is water, hot caffeine (coffee), cold caffeine (diet coke), and tea or vitamin water.
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Spend time with friends and family. Get out of the house on your days off. See your friends. It may feel like you all you want to do is sleep, but trust me, your friends give you energy.
These are a great foundation for work life balance and maintaining your sanity. #healthynurses #worklifebalance #nursing
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