If you are a nurse, friend of a nurse or still in nursing school, this article is for you! Maybe this will bring good memories and a reminder of how far you have come for the more seasoned nurse. It could also bring a feeling of "not being alone in this" if you are currently a student. This is 12 things that stood out to me during my first month in the nursing program.
1. Having a mentor is vital.
My mentor is a third-semester nursing student and I would probably be on all types of anxiety medications if it wasn’t for her guidance and encouragements.
2. Be serious about what you are studying.
Do you remember in high school when it was cute to be the naïve “airhead”? Those days are long gone, my friend. You need to be taken seriously by your peers and especially by your professors. It’s not that we will be mean to you, but you will feel the isolation. We take nursing seriously and having those “oops” giggly moments need to be kept at a minimum.
3. Make friends.
Nursing friendships are some of the easiest and most fulfilling ones to make. They are in it for the same reasons that you are. Nobody feels what you feel but your peers. Also, nothing beats doing an enema together for the first time.
4. Chocolate!
Chocolate is perfection after a long day at clinical. Tip: chocolate with peanut butter (protein) will revive you.
5. Speaking of revival: CAFFEINE.
Espresso, mochas, or your average cup of Joe is needed for brain stimulation. I am not a lightweight, but Coffee Waves’ 16oz iced vanilla latte will keep me up for hours!
6. Know your nap schedule.
20 minutes = energy
60 minutes = better memory
90 minutes = creativity
Tip: If you're really tired and have a limited amount of time: drink a cup of coffee then sleep for exactly 20 minutes. You're welcome.
7. Celebrate the smallest accomplishments.
They will keep you going. For example, I got a perfect score on a dosage calculation quiz and I was hyped for a good week.
8. Invest in a rolling backpack.
Have you seen the "Fundamentals of Nursing" textbook? Amazon has some awesome backpacks for just 20 bucks. Your back will thank you for it.
9. Release the tension.
You build a lot of it with test anxiety and stress. Scream into a pillow, drink a beer, or take a hot shower. Let out the stress somehow and never let it stay in your body because it will catch up to you. You can also look up and follow some 8-minute meditation videos on YouTube or take a dance class at the Dugan Wellness Center. Trust me, it helps and you end up with more energy when you relieve the stress.
10. Train yourself to eat healthy snacks.
You will either stress eat, not eat enough, or end up eating snacks at night. So learn to LOVE raw almonds, yogurts, and fruit slices. Because ramen at 2 a.m. is a no-no.
11. Don’t neglect yourself.
Invest in what makes you happy. Personally, I love working with colors. For example, I take the time to do my makeup in the morning. I use an array of colors to take notes. My rolling backpack is bright pink with flowers. My watch for clinical is lime green. Even my car is neon yellow! (But that wasn’t by choice) Anyways, it's a small thing I do for myself every day.
12. Finally, trust yourself.
Stop doubting yourself. Because if you can’t trust you, then how do you expect to care for another life? The other day, I was taking an online quiz when out of nowhere it shut down on me. My professor gave me the option to re-take the quiz that day or wait until the next day and take a different quiz. I thought I bombed the quiz, so I opted to take it the next day. When I reviewed the answers to the original quiz I took, I found out that I only missed one question. Even though I went through each question and knew the answers, I still found a way to doubt myself. So stop that.
“If it was easy then everyone would be doing it.”
