Working As A Nurse During a Pandemic

2020 was designated as the Year of the Nurse by the World Health Organization. It is also the year of COVID-19. 

This is a weird time, and I think we’re sick of talking about it. I know I am sick of the constant policy changes and daily emails that happen at work. But what I am more sick of is not knowing what to say. Not knowing what to tell my immunocompromised patients and not knowing what to tell my family on why I am adamant at being distant. 

With that being said, I want to bring something to you during this time. I want to surround you with some ways you can bring normalcy back to your life. I want to make sure you are taking care of you. 

Fun things you can do during this time

• wear PJs all day and have breakfast for dinner
• Watch your entire movie list
• read some books that have been on your nightstand for a few months
• try a new recipe
• organize your house
• Get sucked into tiktok 
• call your family
• plan a virtual game night

Ways to cope in the medical field

• find a bestie at work. Someone you know who you can always rely on to cheer you up on a bad day or be your partner in crime. Don’t underestimate the importance of having a person at work to turn to
• start journaling. In healthcare, we aren’t allowed to talk about certain things for privacy reasons. Spill your guts out on the pages of your journal, but make sure to leave out patient identifiers.
• get invested in a mindless TV show. Sometimes we need to take our minds off of what actually happened during shift. This is a great way to just turn off your mind.
• practice self-care. Whatever you are in a mood for, then do that! There is no judgement here. Some of my suggestions include reading a leisure book, napping, going for a hike, or even meditating with essential oils. 

Soothing Scents is a medical product company that is using integrative medicine alongside conventional. In 2004, a nurse anesthetist, Wendy, began to experiment essential oils for the healthcare setting. They developed a blend called STILL that is an effective and immediate relief aid for stress of everyday nursing responsibilities. It comes in a slim round container that easily fits in your scrub pockets. You just open, inhale, feel soothed, and repeat. It contains properties of bergamot, ylang-ylang, sweet orange, and lavender.

I carry my STILL inhaler in my lunch bag and have been using it on my breaks and lunch. It is a perfect time to take 5 minutes out of my day to just relax and recharge. 

You can get 20% off on inhalers, gift sets, and nurse kits with the coupon code Mighty20.

For the month of May, Soothing Scents is offering free delivery on all products and is matching donations and working alongside the government and nonprofits to determine where needs are. 

Remember that being a nurse is not a 24/7 job for just you! There are other members of the healthcare team. When you walk out those doors, make sure to leave your job there too.