A woman in a blue jacket and black pants sitting on a large boulder between two steep cliffs, with arms raised in excitement, in a mountainous area with a waterfall nearby.

Self-care is crucial to nurses’ health. It is equally important that we practice it for ourselves as well.

Compassion and Empathy are critical components of nursing and without a healthy nurse, there is no healthcare!

  • These are some of the things I wish I had known and made a priority my first few months to year of floor nursing.

    Be patient with yourself- You will learn most of what you truly know, working your first couple years.

    Stay curious- Seeing new, different and strange things will add to your knowledge and experience throughout your career. Every week to few months I see or learn something that is amazing.

    Work out- You will be tired, mentally and physically. Take the time and effort create a workout that is normal and decompressing for your physical and mental health.

    Figure out your nutrition- Breaks can get delayed for hours or even missed. Figure out what your body needs. Protein bar, premixed drink, water, have an easy back up for nutrition that cares for your body and makes you feel good.

    Hydrate- Figure out how and when to get in those 8 glasses or more. Dehydration is not something you want for your long term health. Figure out what works for you, your body and brain will thank you.

    Don't be too sensitive- you will receive feedback at some point in your early career and perhaps later that you could do better, or that you missed something/made a mistake, angered a patient or family member. Take what was said with an open mind. Ask yourself if there is some truth in it? Is there an aspect you could do improve or grow from. Discard what is not in your control.

    Identify co-workers who are safe people- Look for the person with whom you can run your situation, patient scenario, clarifying question, or verifying question. They should tell you the right thing to do that is safe and best for your patient.

    If something seems off, weird or unsafe- stop and ask, this saves lives, limbs, organs and a lot of patient harm.

    Don't let a doctor hurt your feelings- Doctors are people too, when woken up for something they don't think was important, or something scares them, they can be unkind and rude. Take a deep breath and talk to them anyway. Do not take their bad moments or words of unkindness and allow them to hurt you.

    Develop habits of safety- Do your assessment the same way every time. Don't skip things. Ask the questions, feel the pulses, and wash your hands. These habits will become easier and will build on each other as your skills increase making you safer and better.

    Become a safe person yourself- Don't gossip or tear your co-workers down, try to find the value in each person. These things are noticed by everyone.

    You will never arrive at knowing it all- You should always be open to learning something new and how best practices can improve your practice.