NURS 478 Self Care Journal

Your Name: Alex Cole Your Buddy: Cadence Williams

Select an evidence-based recommendation to follow for 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 My intervention this week was to sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after work at the hospital. I
sleep from around 0930 to 0430 before every shift this week.

Comments on Activity:
I felt better throughout the 12-hour night shift and found that I required less coffee and felt more alert
when I got more sleep. When I am a practicing nurse, I need to continue to be alert and competent
during my shifts. I will continue this evidence-based recommendation throughout my career.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

2 My intervention this week was to sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after work at the hospital. I
sleep from 0830 to 1700, 0830 to 1630, and 0900 to 17000 this week before every shift.

Comments on Activity:
I am grateful that I could sleep this much. When I sleep more I feel like I can think more critically and I
am more on top of completing my daily requirements. When I dont sleep enough I need to rely on
copious amounts of coffee and then I get headaches and am in a worse mood.

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

Cadence practiced mindfulness for at least 10 minutes every day and say little prayers throughout the
day. This was very beneficial for her because it brought her calm and quiet times.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

3 I did 60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise this week. I did three 20 minute sessions using the
treadmill in my home. I worked out in creative ways to do high interval training using high incline
walking, lunging, planking, running, leg extending, and squatting.

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 Comments on Activity:
I exercised when my brain felt exhausted from all the studying and I felt a need to revitalize and boost
my energy. The workout boosted my energy and I felt good about taking a moment for myself. I feel
like a quick 20-minute workout is beneficial for mood, energy, and outlook on the day.

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

Cadence slept at least 7 hours before and after work or school to help with her energy levels. She and I
talked about how our self-care is going and how we sometimes find it difficult to find time to complete
our identified intervention, but how we end up happier because of it.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

4 This week I completed 60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise. I completed three 20 minute sessions
using the treadmill and floor exercises in my home. On the treadmill, I worked out doing high interval
training using high incline walking, planking, running, and leg extending. The floor exercises that I
completed were ab workouts, planks, and resistance band workouts.
Comments on Activity:
I felt an energy boost after I completed the workouts. I would exercise, take a shower, drink water, and
I would feel boosted to complete my homework. I loved the break from my homework even though it
meant I had to workout, which I dont like to do. I feel like the more I schedule time for myself the
easier it becomes.

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

Cadence did 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise biking under 9 MPH this week for her
self-care. She felt more energy and motivated in life once she completed the exercise.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

5 This week for my self-care I went to Sedona. I was in nature for more six hours, I did yoga and
medication for at least one hour each day for three days, and I took a nap on a hammock under beautiful
oak trees.

Comments on Activity:
I really needed this moment to sit and relax in nature. I am very stressed about graduation because of
this very difficult math class I am enrolled in. This self-care weekend is exactly what I needed to
breath, relax, and get things in perspective in life. I felt refreshed after this weekend, and I feel more
grounded to move forward in life.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)
Cadence worked out three times at her gym within her apartment. She ran on a treadmill, jogged on the
elliptical, and went on the bike. The high intensity cardiac workouts allowed her to clear her mind, take
a break from school, and allow her to refocus on school after the workouts were completed.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

6 This week I completed 60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise. I worked out for 20 minutes three
times a week using the treadmill, floor mat, and resistance bands in my home. On the treadmill, I
worked out doing high interval training switching between using high incline fast walking, planking and
moving the track on the treadmill, and doing leg extensions. The floor exercises that I completed were
ab workouts, planks, and resistance band workouts. Using the bands, I did standing backwards leg
extensions, bridges, and leg kicks.

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 Comments on Activity:
I felt sore after the workouts so I was happy with the work I did. I felt more confident with myself and
felt like it was a nice break from my regular routine. I think that I have found workouts that dont hurt
my joints and that are easy to implement.

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

Cadence worked out at her gym within her home apartment. This is convenient for her because she can
just walk out of her room and straight into the gym. At the gym, she ran on a treadmill, jogged on the
elliptical, and worked out with the bike. The high intensity cardiac workouts allowed her feel more
healthy, mindful in her life, and it helped with stress.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

7 This week I completed 60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise. I worked out for 20 minutes three
times a week using the treadmill, floor mat, and resistance bands in my home. I did high interval
training on the treadmill, floor exercises with a work out app, and resistance bands workouts.
Comments on Activity:
It was very difficult to take care of myself this week. I was tired, hungry, and found little time toeven
shower. I was hard to work out even 20 minutes a day but I did it three times this week. I felt stressed
about taking time from studying but it cleared my mind after I finished it and it was worth it.

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

Cadence slept at least 7 hours per night before and after a work and school days. She felt more rested
and required less coffee to get through the day.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

8 I was blissfully in nature for more than two hours this week three times. I spent time outside doing
homework, going on walks, and sitting in peace.

Comments on Activity:
It felt amazing to be in nature this week. To feel the wind in my hair, the sun on my skin, and the heat
on my cheeks brought me peace. I havent simply sat in nature and breathed in the purifying air in quite
some time.
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 even though sometimes it simply seems anxiety ridding to do something
besides the assignments and tasks at hand, taking time for yourself is critical. I have dedicated my life
to caring for others, and through these weekly activities I have taught myself to spend time caring for
myself. I learned that 20 minutes to care for yourself can lead to increased productivity and
concentration.

Have you noticed any changes in your life since you began this intervention?
I always felt more at peace, grounded, and filled with a fresh wind of energy when I took the time to
care for myself. I found my satisfaction with life a bit higher when I could finally say I took time for

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 myself. In previous semesters when I was asked what I did for myself, I would honestly reply nothing.
It feels defeating to not be able to take a moment to cook for yourself, work off the stress, or take a
relaxing bath. When I completed these activities for myself, I felt in charge of my life and proud of my
commitment to myself.

Will you do anything differently now? Please explain.

I will continue to take time for myself, especially when I am a new grad nurse. I will complete
breathing exercises at work to gain mindfulness, I will work out to gain strength and flexibility, and I
will do fun activities outside of work to prevent compassion fatigue.

Comments/suggestions:
I would suggest adding praying, cooking, and taking baths to the self-care activities that do not require
previous authorization. I know many of my classmates and I find these activities to be therapeutic. I
want to thank you for caring about your students mental and physical health enough to require this kind
of activity.

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

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

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