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“Put your own oxygen mask on first, before helping others with theirs.”

"You can’t pour from an empty cup."

“If momma’s not happy, nobody’s happy.”

These phrases are so well known because there’s truth here. We must take care of ourselves before we can help others. And our level of happiness and well-being affects those around us.

What if we apply this way of thinking to healthcare systems? Hospitals treat sick people. Right? That’s the model we’ve come to know. The paradigm is shifting.

I believe the future of healthcare hinges on a sustainable model of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual care that begins at the top with leaders, and optimizes health of staff, patients, and communites.

Putting your own oxygen mask on first and leading by example are self-care tactics. I’ve been implementing self-care programs for the past decade and the successful ones begin with training leaders.

Want to know more about why organizational health starts with Executive Leaders and how Sustainable Self-Care works?

Learn about our SOHL Leadership Series and SOHL Health Leader Self-Care Trainings:

https://lnkd.in/g229bPx

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It is not easy, but would not want to be doing anything else!
- Kaitlyn

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Always be a student!

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For all nurses in any department

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https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6503225487425404928

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Creativity realized!!! From Seth Godin

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Recommend reading for nurses

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6 reasons why now is a great time to be a nurse

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6 reasons why now is a great time to be a nurse

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https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6488106713303130113

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https://padlet.com/olivia_lemberger/8d16goe82s5u

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https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/12/a-step-by-step-guide-on-how-to-choose-make-and-keep-new-years-resolutions/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=hu-linkedinuniversity-general&utm_source=linkedin

Sent from my iPhone

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https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6481641803631075328

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http://ow.ly/hOT830mDsug

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We have the courage to continue! As we come off of orientation, lets remember why we decided to become nurses. We have the courage, support and caring attitudes to be great!

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https://ajnoffthecharts.com/why-do-journalists-ignore-nurses/

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Hey START nurse,
I think you're amazing, and I'm really proud of you. I think you have a heart of gold, nerves of steel, and a sense of humor that lights up the whole room. I know you're doing your best. You're getting over something hard (whether it's the transition, the autonomy, the time management, or maybe something else), but I totally and sincerely believe in you! You'll overcome it in your own way, and that's the most important way. Always remember your resources, trust yourself, and find support. Don't ever feel like you're alone because we're all here for you. Maybe it's not today, and maybe it's not tomorrow. But one day you'll wake up and suddenly you can breathe and say, "it's gonna be okay." I hope you walk confidently into your unit and nothing holds you back.
Remember it's okay to be kind to yourself too! For those of you who may already be off orientation, I applaud you!
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Just wanted to give everyone a reminder that we have grown so much since our first shift as RNs, and we can only get better!

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Thought for the week

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I know I'm nervous to start working the night shift! This website gave good tips with some good humor as well!
-Paige

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Ah, the night shift. Whether you usually refer to it by graveyard shift, sundowner's shift, the-witching-hours, plain night shift, or whatever else you call it, there's often a lot of misconceptions surrounding this dreaded nursing shift. Yes, some nurses actually love being on the night shift while some try to avoid it at all costs. In this post, we'll share with you some tips on surviving the night shift and hopefully you'll end up learning to enjoy it!

Night Shift Nursing - The Good

Team night shift unite! Nocturnal nurses love the night shift but not just because it fits more with their circadian rhythm. Here are some reasons why being on the night shift actually rocks!

No Traffic - On Most Nights

Being on the night shift usually means going to work after rush hour in the nights and before rush hour begins in the mornings. True that driving on a seemingly deserted road can feel lonely, but at least going to and from work does not feel like a challenge!

Having the Grocery Store All to Yourself

On nights that you're off work and doing your grocery runs, you won't have to walk around aimlessly desperately trying to get to the right aisle amidst a sea of other shoppers. You don't even have to worry how you look like and the best part? Look ma, no checkout lines!

Feeling Like You Own the Gym

No more need to wait until someone else gets done with the machine you want to use and no more trolls trying to hit on you (we hope so!).

Becoming an Expert on the Phases of the Moon

Night shift nurses know exactly when a full moon is happening without any prior knowledge of astrology and without even taking a glimpse at a calendar.

Not Having to Deal with Hospital Visitors

Dealing with patients' relatives can be very challenging because they always show up like a flash-flood during day time hours. An eerily empty hospital corridor is a lot better than one filled with people who aren't helping you to do your job. Aren't you glad you don't have to deal with hospital visitors (for the most part) during your shift?

Night Shift Nursing - The Bad

Night shift nurses often deal with misconceptions that are mostly about night shift nurses having an easy time at work and getting paid more for no reason. There's actually more than enough reasons why night nurses get paid more, here are just some of them:

You Miss Out on Family Events and Important Dates

And it's not even your fault! Sometimes your friends even accuse you of avoiding them but you can't really blame them either because you basically go beast mode when they try to make social calls. You're stuck in between worlds!

Turning into a Creature of the Night

Speaking of being stuck in between worlds, sometimes you get so accustomed to dim lights that you get major mole eyes syndrome when you get off work on the first real sunny day of spring.

Losing Track of Days and Time

Days seem to pass by so quickly because guess what? You don't even know what day it is anymore!

Being a night shift nurse will not just affect just your personal life either. Working in the hospital at night means seeing and experiencing the worst side of even the sweetest of patients.
Witnessing All Types of Crazies
Isn't it weird how the nicest of patients turn into the most impossible ones once the sky turns dark? It's like there's a switch in them somewhere!
People Thinking You Do Nothing at Work
Not only do you have to work through changes in your personal life and difficult patients, even some of the people closest to you think that you do next to nothing because NOTHING ever happens at night, right?

Coz yeah, ALL patients are angels who you simply tuck in bed and stay asleep until the day shift comes in.

Like seriously, even your colleagues sometimes think you do nothing and apparently, don't need sleep nor rest as well.

Like really, don't they get how tiring being a nurse on the night shift can be? Not all the action happens during the day, you know!

Surviving the Night Shift (and Thriving While at It)

Being on the night shift isn't a walk in the park, but it does not have to be tantamount to the 12 labors of Hercules. The best tips and tricks to surviving the night shift is to take care of yourself so that you'll end up actually thriving on it instead of merely surviving.
Get a Load of ZZzzzzz
Not during your shift, of course. Invest in black out curtains and if possible, install some sound-proofing in your room. Don't you just hate it when the neighbors (or family) decide that the middle of your sleeping hours is the right time to take out the karaoke machine or mow the lawn? There's really no way to make everyone stay silent when you're sleeping so it is up to you to make sure that quality sleep does happen. Seriously, headphones and black out curtains or else!
Eat Healthy Food
Just because most hospital cafeterias are not open at night does not mean that you can start classifying pizza a type of vegetable. Eating fast food and whatever the vending machine has to offer is a choice. Preparing your meals at home to bring with you to work is a choice as well, unless you've got a meal prepper with you on your shift!
Get Enough Physical Activity
Being on the night shift is not an excuse to turn into a slob. So what if you can't join your friends at their mid-morning gym sessions? You've got the hospital hallways to do your power walking on! You surely got time for that!

Nothing helps you keep awake and on your toes than being engaged in something that you are interested in. Other things that can help you thrive during the night shift are listening to audio books, reading some novels, staying hydrated, moderating your caffeine intake, and being good friends with the people you work with. After all, no one understands you like they do!

Want more tips and tricks on being a better nurse? Get your Nurse Fuel filled frequently! Be sure to stalk us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for more nurse inspiration and soul food!

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A Nurse's Guide to Life on the Nightshift - The Good, the Bad, And How to Make the Best of It - NurseFuel

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Ah, the night shift. Whether you usually refer to it by graveyard shift, sundowner's shift, the-witching-hours, plain night shift, or whatever else you call it, there's often a lot of misconceptions surrounding this dreaded nursing shift. Yes, some nurses actually love being on the night shift while some try to avoid it at all costs.

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So here's a reminder of why we do this a hundred times a day :)

Handwashing can prevent about 30% of diarrhea-related sicknesses and about 20% of respiratory infections (e.g., colds)

And some gross facts...

Germs from a flushing toilet can travel up to 6 feet

Estimated global rates of handwashing after using the toilet are only 19%

-Becky

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Hope everyone is doing well! Here is a wonderful reminder I ran across the other day - hope you all find this just as inspiring as I do! - Kaitlyn

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Hope everyone is having a good week! Here’s a quote from Princess Diana that I think speaks to one of the many reasons why we all went into nursing!!

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Observation is one of the most important aspects of a patient assessment. 

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Observation is one of the most important aspects of a patient assessment. 

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Here is a helpful resource for you first few weeks!!

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Here is a helpful resource for you first few weeks!!

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10 survival tips

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By Kati Kleber, BSN, RN, CCRN, guest contributor
The first few weeks at your new grad RN job can seem overwhelming.

New shifts.
New co-workers.
New rules.
Not to mention that huge learning curve...

Fortunately, there are a few practical things you can do to stay focused, grow your skills and build your confidence-all while caring appropriately for yourself and your patients.

[FIND new grad RN resources and news with NursingJobs.com]

These are some of the top tips I've learned from years of precepting, coaching and working with new nurses:

10 top tips for new graduate nurses
1. Give yourself a chance to acclimate to shift work.
Going from full-time school to 12-hour shifts and/or nights is challenging for anyone. Communicate with loved ones, plan your days off so you can maximize them, and try to make it so that all you do on the days that you have to work is eat, sleep and work.
2. Get to know your health care team members.
Nursing is a team sport, and it's hard to function as a team without rapport and trust. Put in some time getting to know everyone ... from the nursing assistant, to the housekeeper, to the medical unit secretary, to the surgeon, to the physical therapist, your nursing colleagues, and everyone else.
3. Do your homework.
Read up on frequently given meds, procedures, and disease processes that impact your patient population at home. New grad RNs soon realize that it's hard to learn and absorb that information in the midst of a busy shift.
4. Don't beat yourself up if you make a mistake.
Every new nurse makes mistakes; no one is perfect. Please don't set that unrealistic expectation that you'll just do it right the first time, every time. Otherwise, you'll find yourself very disappointed in yourself, when in actuality it's normal to make mistakes and learn from them.
5. Become efficient at charting.
Spend time getting to know your charting system. The more efficient you are at utilizing the system, the less time you spend doing it. Fortunately, new grad RNs grew up on computers, so you may find electronic systems easier to master than some of your more seasoned colleagues.
6. Develop a routine.
While every single shift will be different, it's important to have a routine to follow for providing nursing care if everything is going smoothly. That way, when things come up and you get behind, you can look at the clock and know approximately where you should be to get back on track.
7. Set your cell phone to military time.
This simple trick helps new nurses get used to writing and thinking in military time, which is essential in charting and communicating with the health care team.
8. Debrief tough shifts and situations.
Some shifts fly by so fast you barely have time to learn anything. When this happens, make sure to process this with your preceptor so that you are able to learn all you can. Debriefs can also help you deal with stress, learn from mistakes and near-misses, and process the emotional aftermath of a poor patient outcome.
9. Ask for specific feedback.
When you're working with a preceptor or another fellow nurse and they observe you educate a patient on heart failure, admit a patient, provide discharge teaching, or start an IV, and so forth, ask them, "What could I have done better?" Specific feedback is essential for professional growth and it helps to ask for it directly, right after the observation.
10. Get a mentor.
Many hospitals provide a mentoring program, but if yours doesn't, connect with another nurse who is not your preceptor. Ask if they'll mentor you throughout the first year and meet with them on (at least) a monthly basis. Their support is invaluable during the transition from new graduate nurse to bedside nurse.
About the Author:
Kati Kleber, BSN, RN, CCRN, is a certified critical care nurse, author, national speaker and host of a podcast for new nurses. She owns and operates FreshRN.com, and has written five books, including her latest, Anatomy of a Super Nurse: The Ultimate Guide to Becoming Nursey, published by the American Nurses Association in May 2017.

DISCOVER new grad RN jobs--or jobs for any stage of your career-at top facilities across the U.S. with NursingJobs.com.

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By Kati Kleber, BSN, RN, CCRN, guest contributor The first few weeks at your new grad RN job can seem overwhelming. New shifts. New co-workers. New rules. Not to mention that huge learning curve... Fortunately, there are a few practical things you can do to stay focused, grow your skills and build your confidence-all while caring appropriately for yourself and your patients.

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Anita Door. The RN who invented the Crash Cart!!!!