Tips to Improve Sleep

Sleeping is one of those things that you as a nurse may have come to terms with the fact that it's something you will have to live without.
 
I'm here to help you realize that nursing and sleep are no longer oxymorons, but can become compliments to one another.  It seems only natural that you should be able to come home from an exhausting 12-hour shift and just fall right asleep, right? Well for some it is not so simple, and I'm here to show you how to bridge the gap between awake and anxious to asleep and peaceful.
 

 
Take a warm shower before bed.
Taking a warm shower can make you feel sleepy and snuggly warm right before you fall asleep.  Better yet? Take a shower with the lights off and light a few candles.  The warm glow of the candles will make you feel so cozy, you'll think you're already asleep!

 
Put down the cell phone.
Your cell phone is nothing but a mental stimulation device once you've laid down.  I've definitely been a victim of this temptation, laying there for hours pinning things with my Pinterest app, wondering why I cannot fall asleep.  The lights in your phone and all the information processing it takes to scan through things on your phone will keep you up all night.  If you find this urge too tempting to put down, try getting an alarm clock. Use this alarm clock to wake you up in the morning, and plug your phone into another room! I know it sounds impossible, but you'll be thankful when you miss the phone buzzes of text messages, phone calls and emails that normally disrupt your sleep.

 
Turn on a fan
The fan will not only help keep your temperature stable all night, but it will also be a great white noise to keep snoring, outdoor noises, or anything else that would jolt you awake somewhat "drowned out" so that you can sleep peacefully.
 
Turn down the temperature
If you're one of those people that likes to be hot as you fall asleep, unfortunately this may be having a negative effect on your sleeping pattern. Your body is more calm and restful as you sleep in lower temperatures.  So keep that fan on, turn down the heat, and bundle in blankets. Your sleep patterns will thank you!
 

 

Avoid heavy foods and liquids before bed
Try having a light dinner and promise yourself a huge breakfast.  Eating your biggest meal of the day gives you the longest time to digest it, leaving your body light and ready for resting at the end of the night.  Having a huge meal before dinner is only exhausting because of how hard your body has to work to digest it.  The harder your body is working, the longer you will be awake.  Liquids are somewhat self-explanatory, but obviously a bulging bladder and multiple trips to the bathroom are not condusive to a solid sleep schedule!
 
Is your mind thinking a million different (somewhat irrational) thoughts right as you try to sleep?
I suffered with this for a really long time, when I realized that all my thoughts were things that I could not do anything about at that exact moment and they could almost always be put off until later.  Write these thoughts down! Keep a pad of paper by your bed and jot down the things that are on your mind, and you'll be amazed at how quickly your thoughts calm.  You can rest assured that you will sleep without forgetting your important thoughts - they'll be right there waiting for you in the morning.

 
Taking a long time to sleep?
If it has been 20 to 30 minutes since you laid down and you cannot fall asleep, as counterintuitive as it sounds - get up and read for a few minutes. Get out of bed.  Your body is associating the bed with a restless feeling, when it should be associated with sleep and relaxation.  Avoid television, computers, your cell phone, anything digital that could be stimulating to your brain - all you'll do is wake it up further.  Go sit in the living room with quiet music, read a few pages of your favorite book, write in a journal, anything quiet that will calm your mind.

Do you use any other tips or tricks to get yourself to fall asleep? Leave them in the comments below to help another nurse out!

 
 

Emilio Nares Foundation

 

 

Emilio's Story
Emilio was diagnosed as a child with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).  ALL has a 75% survival rate, so while the Nares family was both devastated and facing desparation, they were still hopeful that this 75% would include their son. Emilio soon relapsed and underwent intensive chemotherapy while the marrow donor registry was scoured.  He was ultimately (long-term) not responsive to the chemotherapy treatment, and a bone marrow transplant was the only other option. 

Emilio had no siblings, meaning that the bone marrow donor needed to come from someone outside the family.  They frantically searched the registry of marrow donors; it was not until two months later that they realized each person that was thoroughly searched would cost $800.  The community outpoured support, but unfortunately this match was never found. 

Two years after losing their son, the Nares family began the Emilio Nares Foundation in his honor to help support families going through similar situations.  The Foundation now has many programs, funded completely by donations and fundraisers, that allow for the family to help others every chance they get. 

The Emilio Nares Foundation states on their website, "Many people are not aware that in our country 10,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. Two out of every eight children will relapse. This means that chemotherapy will not work for them in the long term."

The Foundation's aim is to be a resource for families as well as a support system.  They have created the following programs to help others who have been forced to endure similar tragedy:

Ride with Emilio
Ride with Emilio is a transportation service that helps underprivileged families make sure their child has a ride to their critical medical appointments.  This program was started after the foundation realized how many children either miss their appointments or take excessively long (around 4 hour) bus rides to and from each appointment.  To solve this problem, they bought a van (and have since expanded to two).  Each van takes 10-20 families a week (5 or 6 children a day) to their appointments for free.

Loving Tabs T-Shirts
Children receiving extensive treatments often need to completely lift their shirts to give doctors access to the connected tubes.  The Loving Tabs T-Shirts have snaps down the chest to easily expose the tubes without the need to completely undress, giving children the sense of normalcy they deserve in this trying time.  They are designed to be softer than cotton and sterile/sanitary.

Photo from the Emilios Nares Foundation website

Patient Advocacy Program
This program was created as a resource to non-English speaking families, to give them assitance for important things like understanding diagnosis and treatment information. This service extends into other fields of medicine and is dedicated to empowering parents.

The foundation has created several other programs, for more information on the programs, check out their website.

For photos of Emilio, check out the Emilio Nares Foundation Flickr account. (This will open a new window).


How you can Help
1. Make a Donation, Fundraise or Volunteer! (Sign up for any of the 3 here)

2. Join our Golf Tournament Efforts - Source Healthcare Staffing is paricipating in a Golf Tournament in San Diego that raises money for the ENF.

3. Richard Runs California - Run with him!

Have any questions, comments or concerns? Feel free to leave them in the comments below!

All information and pictures found in this post were found on the ENF website.

Simple Exercises to Keep the Busy Nurse Feeling Fit

We all know that being a nurse means long shifts. Being on your feet most of the day (up to 12 straight hours sometimes), can leave you with very little energy to go for a run when you get home. Here are some ideas of things you can do throughout the day to kick your exercise habits up a notch!

Disclaimer: This post is by no means an excuse or substitution for the gym, it's simply a way to keep you burning calories on the days you just can't find time to make it there!

Stretch Your Way Out of Bed
Stretching is an underrated form of exercise.  Stretching as you roll out of bed will get your blood pumping, metabolism moving (which burns calories), and wake you up! So bend down and touch your toes, reach your hands to the sky, and feel good about the day you're about to start.

Park in the Back of the Parking Lot
When you get to work, it's easy to feel like you need to get a parking space as close as humanly possible to minimize the walk to the door. On the contrary, by parking on the far edge of the parking lot, you'll bust out a mini-cardio workout on your way to and from work/school.  While this seems less than ideal, this little tweak to your daily routine can add up to a few lost pounds each year!  Not only will you pick up a little extra cardio on your way to work, you'll also be in far less danger of your car being scraped by the people fighting over who gets to park closest to the building.  (Bonus!)

Take the Stairs
By taking the stairs instead of the elevator, you're burning extra calories right away.  The stairs are a great thigh and buns toner and taking the stairs usually takes about the same amount of time as the elevator (or can even be faster in an elevator that makes a few stops).



Dance Around!
Dancing burns the same amount of calories in an hour as a light jog on the treadmill - around 400 to 500!  Dancing has the advantage of actually being fun and you can do it anywhere. You can dance at work, at home, in the bathroom, at school, anywhere you wanna groove go ahead and bust a move!

Jumping Jacks
This childhood gym class exercise is actually a great cardio workout while toning your thigh and calf muscles.  Jumping jacks are quick, easy, and burn a lot of calories! They can also be a quick way to wake yourself up or to get warm if you're starting to feel cold.

Keep Good Posture
Good posture while standing and sitting is another great way to keep up your circulation, and after a while, it just becomes habit! Not only will you look a little taller and stronger, you'll feel like it! It keeps your body feeling good - your spine doesn't like being misaligned so make sure to keep it straight!

One of the things to keep in mind if your goal is to make it to the gym.
Just get there!
If you walk inside the gym, no matter how tired you feel the hard part is over. Just getting yourself there will change your mindset. 

If you've made it to the gym
Great job! I have a follow-up post coming for you! A quick tip to hold you over: If you're not feeling like running or taking your best shot at the stair stepper there's another option! Try getting on a treadmill, setting the incline to 10 or higher, and walk it out (3.5 to 4.5MPH is a great speed). It's actually a great workout (burning more calories per mile than running) and is much less intimidating than running.  I usually find that the days that I start out this way, I end up shaking my motivation funk and start running.

I hope this helps you feel your best.  If you have more tips to share, make sure to put them in the comments to help other nurses like yourself!

7 Superfoods to Keep You Alert for a 12-Hour Shift

I know it's tempting to rush to the candy, cookies, or any type of sugar when you're feeling a little sluggish. Unfortunately, we all know that we have to keep eating the candy to maintain our energy boost, or else: the crash.  Companies like 5-Hour Energy and Redbull like to capitalize on this crash by creating new, expensive, and sometimes disastrously unhealthy solutions.

You don't need to spend the 2 to 5 dollars (each!) on one of these products! Just switch up the way you eat and you'll find some energy - promise!

Nursing shifts are some of the longest out there and you may find yourself (naturally) getting a little sleepy toward the end.  This post will provide you with some ideas of foods you can eat to waver the energy crisis for a little longer.

The first superfood (superliquid?) you should be taking in all day is Water.
Water will keep you hydrated all the way down to your cells, which keeps them working at their primary level of functionality.  When you wake up, try to drink an entire glass of the stuff and it will leave you feeling more alert almost immediately.  You spent the whole night without drinking any water! Your body is dehydrated and could really use the boost (and don't forget to keep it going all through the day).

 

The second superfood, Almonds (unsalted and raw), can provide you with the protein and energy boost you're looking for.  A serving of these will boost your blood sugar naturally helping you feel more alert and awake.

 

Third, and one of my favorites on the list, Dark Chocolate.  Dark chocolate has the iron and magnesium your body needs to boost your energy, lower stress, and put you in a better mood to finish out the day.

 

Another food to pack along to the hospital with you are bananas. They are full of potassium and take your body a while to digest, leaving your system balanced and energized for longer.

 

Green tea is another energy booster (thank you caffeine) that offers so many health benefits, it's nearly unbelievable.  One of these benefits (one that is great and necessary for nurses is the antioxidants it provides, keeping you alert, awake and healthy! Every nurse could use an extra antioxidant boost.

 

Another green item to add to this list is avocado. Avocados are not only delicious, but they are also full of the healthy fats that your body needs to function properly.  These help to lower hunger, boost concentration, and leave you with glowing skin!

 

The final item on this list is berries.  Pop a handful of blueberries, raspberries or blackberries into your mouth to boost your fiber intake which helps to control and stabilize your blood sugar for a longer-lasting spike in energy.

 

 

Do you have a secret superfood that keeps you going all day? Leave it in the comments and will look into adding it to the list! All feedback is welcome!

 

 

 

The Best of Denver

Denver, Colorado. 

One of the most beautiful cities in the United States.  Have you found yourself lucky enough to find a Travel position here? First, to you a congratulations is in order! Next, I'm going to show you the highlights of this beautiful city so you know exactly where you need to go during your assignment.

Denver Art Museum
The art museum is one of the attractions in this artistic city.  Even if you are not the least bit interested in the art in the building, just check out the building's architecture! It's unique and Just don't try to go on a Monday, this is the one day it is closed each week.

Denver Capitol Building
Standing 5,280 feet above sea level, the capitol building finds itself exactly one mile high! Since you are in the "mile high city" it's definitely something you need to see before you leave. 

 

The SAME Café
The SAME Cafe (where SAME stands for, "So All May Eat") is a cafe that does not have menu prices.  It's goal is to allow all to eat, and only asks that you pay it forward.  This may be through either monetary donation or donating an hour of your time working.  It is something worth seeing so you should try to stop by during your time in Denver.

Coors Brewery Tour
You are in the hometown of Coors beer! While you're in Denver, make sure to take a free tour and taste some of the freshest beers you can get anywhere. The water still comes from the Colorado Rockies even though it is the world's largest brewing site.

 

 

 

Rocky Mountain National Park

If you're interested in the outdoors and adventure, (or just taking a break from the nursing life), Colorado is full of it! Make sure to make some time to view all of the experiences and unrivaled views that Denver has to offer!

 

 

 

 

Do you have any more suggestions of sites you need to see while in Denver? Be sure to leave them in the comments!

 

 

 



Top Health Boards to Follow on Pinterest

As a nurse, you know the importance of eating healthy and exercising on a regular basis, but sometimes you need a little motivation boost to keep yourself on track. 

If you're feeling a bit of slippage from your New Years Resolution, there are some great places of inspiration (Thinspiration? Pinspiration?) you can follow and look at on a regular basis to keep yourself on the right track. This post is going to show you some boards to follow on Pinterest that will give you new ideas and tips for good health.

Women's Health Magazine
With over 150,000 pinterest followers and nearly 1,500 pins dedicated to Women's Health, this user would surely seem a logical place to begin with this FITspiration.  There are boards dedicated to healthy (and no less delicious) recipes, exercise tips, weekend challenges, yoga and more.  Following Women's Health Mag will surely give you new pins on a regular basis to keep you looking and feeling your best.

Runner's World
If running is your form of exercise of choice, check out Runner's World's boards on Pinterest.  This pinner is perfect to keep you inspired and healthy from warmup to cooldown.  There are different types of workouts, good health and running books to read, and even an injury prevention board.

Scrubs Magazine
Are you just looking to heal yourself with a chuckle? Scrubs magazine frequently posts #nursingproblems that are sure to brighten your day.  There are boards for all aspects of nursing: the History of Nursing, Heroic stories, Videos and Books nurses love, etc.

Whole Foods Market
If you work the night shift and exercising seems like this distant memory that is hard to accomplish in real life, have no fear, you are not alone. You'll be happy to know that 80% of abs are made in the kitchen! So as long as you stay on top of your eating you'll be just fine! Whole Foods' pins are everything from healthy recipes and gardening tips to exotic kitchens.  Follow them for FOODspiration!

 

Check out these health boards and comment if you have more suggestions! Staying healthy as a nurse is something we all understand the importance of and can work together to accomplish!