The Healthy Nurse: Mind, Body, and Spirit
1:12 PM
This week was Nurses Appreciation Week! A week dedicated to the hard worker bees of the hospital. I love the theme this year. As nurses, we tend to forget to take care of ourselves. Many times we go 12-14 hours without eating, drinking, or using the restroom. Some days are easier than others, and you're lucky to eat lunch and drink an entire bottle of water. We educate our patients on the importance of restful sleep and nutritious meals that promote healing, but we go to the break room and chug 24 ounces of caffeine and eat a handful of candy!
It's important to make sure that you as a nurse are at your optimum level in order to provide the best care possible. So here are some tricks that I've come up with to make sure I get at least the minimum on tiring work days!
- Waking up early for first breakfast: I set my alarm clock for 0510, my husband calls me at 0520, and I get up at 0530. This gives me almost an hour to get ready, have my coffee, and make something to eat. I know that there are people out there who roll out of bed in the morning, get ready, and go. Then they say that they'll eat later that morning when they get to work. Some days that's feasible, but most days it isn't. So I make sure that I eat something like eggs and toast before I leave my house. If you really don't like waking up early, then prepare something the night before so you can just heat it up in the morning and eat while you're getting ready. The art of multitasking is something every nurse is familiar with.
- Packing small, healthy snacks for the day: I usually don't eat a big lunch while I'm at work. I usually step away for five minutes to scarf down something small. I always bring my "second breakfast", which is usually yogurt, chia seeds, granola, and banana slices. It's something that's filling and I can get it down in a few bites. This is usually my "post-assessment" snack after I've seen all of my patients. And in case I don't get my lunch in, then I bring snacks like a nut mix, fruit, and/or granola bars. But I strongly encourage that you take your lunch break and have someone cover down for you. I've had days where I've gone home feeling really sick from not being able to eat something all day. Plus - when you bring healthy snacks from home, you're less likely to give into buying something from the vending machines or fast food.
- Hydration nation: We are always encouraging patients to stay hydrated. On average, I probably walk 4-5 miles every day during work, and I have definitely broken a sweat while being suited up in contact rooms. Staying hydrated will help keep your mind focused, and it's just overall good for your body. When you start feeling excessively tired and dizzy at work, take a moment to sit down and drink water. I usually try to get at least 4 refills of my small blender bottle in during my shift.
- Exercise: On days that I work, I wake up and do some stretches to help get my blood moving. I'm always so sore when I wake up in the morning, so this helps loosen me up. I try to do some physical activity, even just a short duration, during my work days. I walk at a very fast pace (people know when I'm coming down the hall because the sound of my fast little footsteps). I do push-ups and sit-ups at home, and I'll try to get out to run if it's still nice.
- Mindfulness: Every day I have to just give myself a moment of silence and peace. I try not to think of the things that gave me a hard time. I try not to think of work. I try not to think of how much I miss my husband. I sit there and I think of all the things I'm thankful for, and think of all my interactions with people that made me smile. This helps me overcome any emotional fatigue I may feel when I end my shift. I have a yoga app on my phone that I find myself using pretty frequently just to find my center again.
Once you've found a system that works for you and helps prevent you from feeling like you're drowning every time you go to work, I suggest you stick with it! Happy Nurses Week to a group of hardworking individuals. May your coffee be strong, and your patients alert and oriented.
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