NURS 478 Self Care Journal

Your Name: Sydney Mank Your Buddy: Samantha Kerr

Select any evidence-based intervention/recommendation to follow (do this over 8 weeks):

 Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
 Practice mindfulness meditation for at least 10 minutes everyday
 Complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as biking under 9
mph, dancing, jogging, or playing tennis; or complete 60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week,
such as running, kickboxing, or jumping rope.
 Participate in two professionally led yoga classes for one hour or longer per week
 Spend up to 2 hrs in Nature or longer per week
 Other (Must get your Clinical Faculty approval first, and activity should be up to 2 hrs or longer
per week)

Complete Weekly journal entries:

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
1
Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
9/23 I plan to prioritize sleep by creating a schedule of my night that includes when schoolwork will be done,
when I will cook dinner, and when I will shower and get ready for bed.
Comments on Activity:
This week I did my best to sleep at least 7 hours a night. I did this by eating an early dinner, showering
before bed, drinking chamomile tea before bed, and being in bed by 10 pm to wake up by 7 am. I would
also turn off my TV and put my phone away so that I could fall asleep without distractions. I got at least
7 hours of sleep 5 out of 7 nights this week. The two nights that I did not get 7 hours of sleep were
nights that I worked a dinner shift at work. I did feel a bit more tired waking up the next day after not
getting 7 hours of sleep.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
2
Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
9/30 This week, I work several shifts at my other job. My schedule will not be able to be followed this week,
but I will try to go right to sleep after work to attempt to still get my 7 hours.
Comments on Activity:
This week I worked several days of the week so I only ended up getting at least 7 hours of sleep for 3
out of 7 nights this week. When I got home from work I found it harder to fall asleep even though I was
extremely tired; I felt I couldn’t shut my brain off after a busy and stressful night at work. I felt a bit
more irritable this week and I think I overdid it with how many shifts I worked.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)
Sam and I discussed what are some things we can do if we have trouble falling asleep at night. Sam told
me that it helps her to read a chapter or two of a book until she gets tired. I will try that next week. Sam
also showed me an app on our phones called “Bedtime”, which you can set how many hours of sleep
you hope to get and when you need to wake up, and it will notify you when you need to start getting
ready for bed. I will try using the app next week.

M O’C Fall 2018

 Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
3
Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
10/7 This week I plan to use the “Bedtime” app to help prioritize sleep. I will also begin reading a book
before bed until I get tired to help encourage sleep.
Comments on Activity:
This week I used the app that Sam told me about to help encourage me to go to bed at a decent time. I
did my best to listen to the app when it alerted me it was time to get ready for bed, but I found myself
making dinner later because I would attempt to get my school work done before dinner, and that would
set me back. I got 7 hours of sleep 4 out of 7 nights this week. I felt a bit overwhelmed with school
work and my other job this week, but I surprisingly didn’t feel much more tired than usual.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)
This week Sam and I discussed how we should plan to cut back on screen time usage and turn off our
phones and TVs at least an hour before going to sleep to promote healthy sleep habits. I am guilty of
using my phone in bed and sometimes I get so lost in it I will stay up extremely late, and I know this is
not a healthy sleep habit.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
4
Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
This week I will turn off all electronics 1 hour before I plan to go to bed and decrease screen time usage
for better sleep hygiene.
Comments on Activity:
This week I felt like I got 7 hours of sleep every night. I was very satisfied with my sleep hygiene
habits, and I didn’t feel overwhelmed because I didn’t work at my other job at all this week because my
preceptorship is starting. I felt the need to do a bit of schoolwork a day, and I think this was a great way
to manage my time. I was really able to prioritize sleep this week.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)
Sam and I discussed how we both felt we got good night’s sleep almost every night this week. Cutting
back on screen time has definitely helped both of us improve out sleep habits. We both felt we were
able to fall asleep faster, since we avoided distractions from technology.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
5
Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
This week I will attempt to get used to sleeping during the day since I work night shifts for my
preceptorship. I will put up black-out blinds and use a mask and ear plugs to avoid being woken up
during the day and to promote sleep.
Comments on Activity:
This week I had a difficult time trying to get accustomed to the night shift work schedule. I find it very
difficult to sleep during the day, so I had to implement other small interventions that I mentioned above
to help me fall and stay asleep. I probably got 7 hours of sleep 2 out of 7 days this week.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

This week, Sam and I discussed how much of an influence social media can have on our lives and how
sometimes we get lost in trying to update ourselves on what is going on in our friends lives through
social media when we should be trying to prioritize sleep. We will continue to try and stay off our
phones when we lay down to go to bed.

M O’C Fall 2018

 Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
6
Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
This week I will continue to attempt to get on the night shift schedule. I will take a hot shower when I
get home, and get right in bed following my shift to promote better sleep.
Comments on Activity:
Taking a shower after my shifts before I went to sleep really helped me to unwind and relax before bed.
I feel like I fell asleep quickly and without problems this week. Realistically, before my next shift I only
am able to get about 6 hours of sleep. Since I worked 3 nights, I probably got 7 hours of sleep 4 out of 7
nights this week.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)
Sam and I talked about another way we could try and fall asleep easier, by using the natural sleep aid,
Melatonin. Sam doesn’t take it very often but said she would be willing to try it, as we both realized that
after a stressful day we sometimes have difficulty shutting our brains off to sleep. I am prescribed a low
dose PRN sleeping pill, as I have struggled with insomnia since I was 14, but after the long 12 hour
shifts, I have not found a need to use it as much, unless I have difficulty shutting my brain off after a
shift. It does not make me drowsy when I wake up, which is very beneficial, though I do try to avoid
using it unless absolutely necessary.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
7
Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
I plan to implement the same interventions that I did last week (shower, etc.) because they worked so
well. I also think I should have a snack when I get home from a shift because I woke up hungry last
week.
Comments on Activity:
This week was very stressful for me. We had a very busy patient load, and one of our patients nearly
passed. I felt overwhelmed with school, applying for jobs, etc. When I got home from my shifts, I had a
very difficult time falling and staying asleep because I felt I couldn’t shut my brain off following the
shift. I felt stressed and a bit burnt out this week. I probably did not get 7 hours of sleep once this week.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)
This week Sam and I discussed the overall effects we have seen from making an effort to prioritize our
sleep. We talked about which interventions worked best for us, and she mentioned that she felt overall
more rested and had more energy to get things done throughout the day. My biggest change was when I
got more sleep, I was in a much better mood with much more energy and drive to get through the day.
We will both continue to implement these interventions to enhance our sleep habits.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
8
Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
Because I had difficulty falling asleep last week, I want to run for 20-30 minutes before going to bed
after my shifts this week to see if it helps.

Comments on Activity:
This week I ran twice after my shifts. After the third shift, I was too tired and fell right asleep when I
got home. The two times I ran I think it helped me burn some energy, and took my mind of the stressful
shifts that I endured that week. After I ran, I showered, got in bed, and fell right asleep. I probably got 7
hours of sleep 4 out of 7 nights this week.

M O’C Fall 2018

 Complete Survey Below
(Once Completed submit entire document to D2L Assignment Drop box by Due date and add to Your
Portfolio.)

Reflection on Panopto presentation and 8-week intervention:

What did these activities teach you?

These activities taught me that something so simple such as getting an adequate amount of sleep every
night can make all the difference in someone’s quality of life. It is so easy to get burnt out if you are
exhausted every day at work, and especially working night shifts I felt like I couldn’t catch up on sleep
no matter what I did. I learned that we have to pay attention to our bodies and minds and practice self-
care to ensure that we can be physically and mentally present in both our work days and outside lives,
and to avoid burnout that can be so common in the nursing profession.

Have you noticed any changes in your life since you began this intervention?
Before these activities, I didn’t really pay attention to how much sleep I was or was not getting every
night. Now, I have so many interventions that I can try to help me fall and stay asleep. I felt
significantly better on the days that I got 7 hours of sleep the night before. I was less irritable,
complained less, more motivated, and genuinely happier throughout my work/school day.

Will you do anything differently now? Please explain.

I will continue to practice these interventions when I have a difficult time falling asleep. I am going to
continue to use the Sleep app, because although it was difficult to pay attention to when I had
homework assignments to finish, when I am working full time as a nurse, I will have less excuses to
stay up past my set bedtime, and I think that will help a lot.

Comments/suggestions: N/A

Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with these statements:
Following an evidence-based recommendation to reduce burnout was valuable to me.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
5 4 3 2 1

This 8-week intervention will help me implement preventative strategies for burnout in my career.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
5 4 3 2 1

This Panopto presentation titled: “Nurse Burnout: What this is and how you can minimize it in your careers”
effectively taught me how I can reduce and address nurse burnout in my career.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
5 4 3 2 1

M O’C Fall 2018

 Completing the Big Five Personality Test was helpful for exploring my risk of nurse burnout.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
1 2 3 4 5

M O’C Fall 2018