So Close But Yet.. So Close. Remembering Your End Goal

We can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel. I think we can all agree that this semester of nursing school has pushed us, motivated us, caused us stress, or brought us the best days of learning. With only one more week in the semester, we've been assigned homework, ATI's, and studying material for our finals. What makes it all worth it is the amount of knowledge and skills I've learned. I remember looking at the material a few weeks before school started. I closed my dosage calculations textbook just as quickly as I opened it. I was so nervous because I saw things that made me think: "Is nursing school for me?" But as the semester went on, I excelled in something that I feared. My class chose me to be class representative, which motivated me to go harder. I would constantly hear, "You're the smartest in the class." That made me feel really good inside. We had a test one week, and I remember making my first C on an exam. Everybody would say, "well, if you didn't do good, then I know I didn't." It put so much pressure on me because I didn't know my classmates believed in passing every exam. But again, it motivated me to make sure I understood the material and made sure my classmates knew the material. 

Coping With Death in the Workplace:

“Grief is the price we pay for love” - Queen Elizabeth II. This quote is something that resonates with me. As nurses, we care so strongly about our patients, we may care for these individuals for minutes to months, yet we create a bond unlike any other in these periods of time. Often our patients' passing will be peaceful and surrounded by family, and other times it is  traumatic and lonely. We may wonder, did we do everything we could? If I were a better nurse would they have pulled through? Did I miss something that could have been a warning sign? What if we intubated them even a minute fast? All of these what if’s can leave us distressed after a patient's passing, and can become something we bring home with us.

I’ve caught myself thinking about patients' deaths for days and weeks after they’ve happened wondering all of those same questions. I’ve cried in the bathroom after codes, and driven home in silence after shifts with a heavy heart. But all of these hard feelings remind me that I am human,  and nursing does not have to make me cold to death and sadness. 

How To Prevent Burn Out

Burn Out: Two words, especially during these times; we hear more about nursing school and the nursing field in general. It can be terrifying and brutal to hear about constantly. So how can we prevent this from happening to us? Here are some tips and tricks I have acquired over time to help you, hopefully!

Routines: Having a daily routine or planning out your week ahead of time can alleviate a lot of stress on you! When you become overwhelmed or constantly go go go with no direction or guide, it can weigh on your mind. So having a set plan daily of things going on, something you want to accomplish, and routines are beyond helpful. I make it a checklist layout, so as I go, I check things off, and I feel so much better seeing the list get shorter and shorter! It does not have to be anything crazy either. Daily I try to work out, journal, study, call a friend or family member, cook dinner, and get 7 hours of sleep.