Nurses can be caring, highly driven individuals. They can pour themselves into their job as they care for patients, work with families, and coordinate with other team members. The day in the life of a nurse can be a lot. If you’re a nurse, you know. Of course, every day can be different. Every patient can be different. Every team can be different. But one thing that can stay the same is your commitment to your job.
May is National Nurses Month. National Nurses Week is May 6-12. National Nurses Day is Monday, May 6. In short, May is dedicated to nurses and everything they do—everything you do. These days can come and go, but you’ll still be there giving your all to your patients. But what about you? How do you give back to yourself? You may take small breaks during a shift, you may carry malpractice insurance for nurses for a little peace of mind.
But what else do you do for yourself? This month, and in recognition of National Nurses Month, consider how you can give back to yourself. Nursing can be a challenging and rewarding profession. When you give back to yourself, you may get even more from your career.
Why Giving Back to Yourself as a Nurse Is So Important
Some weeks, you may work three long days in a row and have four days off. There may be other weeks where work is seemingly endless. You may be on call 24/7. A nursing career can be highly variable, especially depending on what kind of nurse you are and where you work.
Finding time to give back to yourself can be crucial. It can impact your patient care, patient outcomes, paperwork, and your health—both mental and physical. The list goes on. Taking time (or not taking time) for yourself can, essentially, impact nearly every aspect of your work and life. When you give back to yourself, you can give back to others.
Because of how “all-encompassing” self-care can be, it certainly shouldn’t be overlooked. Of course, with a busy schedule, it can be hard to find time to give back to yourself. You may find yourself wondering how to effectively give back to yourself. Some strategies work for some nurses, while others might not.
How to Give Back to Yourself
While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to giving back to yourself, there are steps anyone can take to find what works best for them. One step is to go after the easy wins—those easy things you can do for yourself that can enrich your well-being. It might be finding a few minutes during a shift where you can listen to music and meditate away from patients and staff.
Another quick win, not to put too fine a point on it, can be securing your own nursing malpractice insurance. This tip makes the cut because it’s fairly a straightforward and easy win. Nurses can often have some coverage under their employer. However, having your own coverage can mean you get to customize it to your needs. It gives you control and peace of mind.
When you feel more in control and have a source of peace of mind, this can have a real impact on your well-being, too. It can be beneficial to look for things that can give you that sense of control or peace of mind. Private meditation can be an option. Focusing on the positive can be another (and reducing or eliminating things like self-criticism).
Finding What Works for You
Things like meditating for five minutes in the middle of the day or getting medical or dentists malpractice insurance (relevant to dental nurses and hygienists, too!) can be a great start, but what comes after the easy wins? The next step can be finding what kind of self-care methods recenter or restore you.
You may already have an idea or you may need to explore options through trial and error. Everything from an hour of daily physical activity (running, hiking, etc.) to mindfulness exercises (which can include reading for fun and creative endeavors) can be options. The bottom line is when you find what works for you, you may notice a difference in your day-to-day and you may get even more out of your career.
Original Source: https://bit.ly/3UlCaQv
