Are You A Stressed Out Nurse?
Are you a stressed out nurse? As nurses, it is our responsibility to take classes, courses, and workshops to grow during our career. Advances in procedures, medications, and scientific breakthroughs make it imperative to continue our education, especially in the area of our expertise. Without growth we would become stagnant in our field. We can also become overwhelmed and stressed out due to all the changes around us. Continuing education is one way to continue our professional growth.
One of the best ways to find continuing education targeted toward your field, is to join an association related to your chosen specialty. I’ve been an Oncology Nurse for 16 years, and for the most part have been a member of the Oncology Nursing Society. I’ve attended some of their sponsored conferences, and even headed a local Oncology nurses group where we were able to have speakers come in with programs and approved CEU’s. Most professional nursing organizations have a journal or magazine, and withing those publications are often continuing education opportunities.
Watson Caring Science Institute
My other favorite group at this time is the Holistic Nurses Association. During a time when I was pursuing a BSN, (just as a disclaimer I didn’t quite finish that due to a family priority, but was just a few months away from it) I was introduced to Dr. Jean Watson and her 10 Caritas. Dr. Watson founded the Watson Caring Science Institute and it was during this time I began to see my own personal growth as something imperative for my own wellness. I had become a stressed out nurse along my journey, and sought for ways to balance and become more resilient.
I’ve purchased the Holistic Nursing: A Handbook for Practice, and if this is an area of interest to you, a program can be completed which will allow a nurse to earn 65 credit hours! What an awesome way to obtain nursing credits and grow professionally while also adding tools to enhance your own personal growth and wellness.
Improve Your Self-Care As A Nurse
In the midst of growing professionally, learning your role, and putting your all into your chosen profession, oftentimes our own attention to self-growth goes lacking. I know it certainly did in my life. This caused a myriad of issues that eventually led to a period of compassion fatigue and burnout. I didn’t have the personal tools in my belt to work through this work/life imbalance.
During my own journey, I discovered the need for personal development. I studied and became a wellness coach. I’d like to share a few of my own personal books utilized during this time. I now continue to add tools to my personal wellness belt.
1. The Wellness Workbook, 3rd ed: How to Achieve Enduring Health and Vitality by Dr. John W. Travis. This was one of the required books during my wellness coaching training with Wellness Inventory.
The Wellness Workbook, 3rd ed: How to Achieve Enduring Health and Vitality
2. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. This is an awesome personal account of Ms. Gilbert as her own life had become out of balance and she made some pretty drastic decisions to heal. Her book had a major impact on catapulting me on my own journey.
Eat, Pray, Love: BookEat Pray Love: Movie
3. Mind over Medicine by Dr. Lissa Rankin. This is the story of Dr. Rankin and how she hit her professional brick wall, and experienced a radical life change.
Mind Over Medicine DVDMind Over Medicine Book
4. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Miguel Ruiz. This really speaks about personal integrity and being true to yourself.
Those resources are a few to get you started. My rule now: always have a fun fiction book and a personal development book to read. I have found how instrumental it has been in my own life to create that work/life/play balance. In my own personal wellness journey I have found simple practices like mindfulness, attention to my breathing, being present and how the way I think actually has direct impact on my health and well-being.
Continuing our education as a nurse provides professional wellness. Investing in our personal wellness/development will ensure we are able to continue to be that nurturing force for others.
~ Authentically Joycelynn