How to have Balance in Nursing School & On the Job!!

How to have Balance during nursing school & on the job.

Remember this:  Balance is a state of mind.

We cannot control our external conditions, the only thing that we have any control over is how we react to these circumstances.

The better we feel… the more complicated circumstances we can handle.

With that said: Here are 7 simple tips that I do on a regular basis to help myself stay balanced.

1.     Remember how lucky I am… and feel grateful…

-       Every day on the job I remind myself how luck I am to provide such highly skilled care to my patients.

-       When I was in nursing school I gave an immense amount of gratititude for having come this far…

2.     Keep up with your relationships… and track it… 

-       let things happen naturally with your relationships…

-       Do special things for your significant other… this is a hard time for them too… constantly remind them that you want to be better for them

3.     Get outside… for a quick job, walk or just to sit and look. 

-       Get 5-7 mins of sunlight/day

4.     Listen to inspiring music from movies!  there is a video on youtube…The link is below but it has the most inspirational music from movies and it always makes me feel better.

Here is the link to my favorite Video J   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tuK0sk_D1M

5.     Make yourself look better!!  When you look good… you feel good… and what is more important than that???

6.      

7.     Become present.

Take a deep breath… feel your skin and look at where you are.  This will clear your mind and allow you to consciously think about what you want :)

8.     Get physical:  Stretch and Work out.

-       My workout routine:   

-       Stretches

-       Let lifts

-       walk/ jog for 5-30 mins… preferably outside

-       yoga poses:   The goal through these is to feel discomfort… but to breath through it… I think that this is a great lesion in life.  Watch out for pain though, you should seek professional help before attempting at home… I am not a yoga instructor… I just love yoga!

-       1. Downward facing dog

-       2. Baby cobra

-       2. Wheel pose

-       3. Camel pose

I hope you enjoyed this!!

Let me know if you need anything else!!

Love you all!!

- Caroline Porter Thomas

Caroline@EmpoweRN.com

www.EmpoweRN.com Hello My loving friends who like nursing!! This is Caroline Porter Thomas and I'm so excited to have you with me today! I have something special for my new nurses today... but, if you are a nursing student or have a few years of experience, you may still find this video and the tools helpful. From the day that I graduated nursing school I wanted to make sure that I had a plan that would help me stay on fire for my job. I saw many people in the hospital that looked like they hated being there... I wanted to be different. I wanted to make sure that I grew and became better and better as time went on. The first tool that I have for you is this:

 A tool to help you "Begin with the End in Mind... or begin with the end that you "Want" in mind. I got this awesome tip from Dr. Wayne Dyers book: The 7 habits of highly effective people! It has changed my life. Every day I walk into the job thinking about how I can be the best nurse in the world... this does not mean that I fall short of this many days... but I can honestly tell you that looking for ways that I can go above and beyond the job has truly made this a calling and not a job :) The 2nd tool is to help you deal with the tough issues that we face. For example, nursing mistakes, medical errors and emotionally tough issues may be something that you have to deal with on the job... we all do. Attached is a little tool that explains a process that I go through to help me see the situation from a different angle. It helps me put the emotional feelings aside, while still learning the important lesion so that I will not make the same mistake in the future! The final tool is one that will indeed help you love your job in 20 years! The reason for this is because it helps you face the truth... you need to grow and become something more. True life begins after college and when you have a solid/stable career. What other career would give you 4 days off to focus on how you can improve your life and move your life forward? So just click on the link here and you will be given all the tools immediately :) I hope you love them because I love you!! Cannot wait to see you again soon!! Lots of love, - Caroline

Featured on Scrubsmag!!!

Awe Scrubsmag featured my channel EmpoweRN for the month of July!
What an honor!  I love them!!

Can I work and go to Nursing School?

www.EmpoweRN.com
Hello Hello my LOVES!!
I am Caroline Porter Thomas and created this video for Marion who asked "Can you make a video about nursing students who have had part time jobs and still excelled in nursing school."
I love how you are intelligently approaching the nursing education process and evaluating whether or not this is something that a working adult could feasibly do!
While I did not work, I did go to school with many nursing students who worked.  While it is not ideal there were a few things that I noticed about the students who worked and were successful.
This is a list of the Traits:

1. They had very clearly outlined goals and they were super excited about what they were working towards.
2. They ate relatively healthy and skipped all of the big group lunches with classmates... as I did too.
3. They said "No" a lot.  To anything that would take them further away from their goals.
4. They surrounded themselves with Driven and Positive people.
5. They utilized every second wisely.... I remember one very driven student would keep his head in the book when everyone else was socializing during a class break.
6. They had a lot of FAITH!!!  That they were doing what they were supposed to be doing, that they would be given the tools necessary to succeed and that their future was going to be much better.
It is possible to work and go to nursing school, yes, but you have to be 20 times more focused for sure!
Another thing that I saw which I forgot to mention was that it did help if they had a job which did allow at least some time to glance through their book or notes.  Jobs like security guards who site at monitor screens or Telemetry technicians or maybe secretary work at a place that is not super duper busy would be great!
I did see quite a few nursing students work as CNA's and although I do think that you will get some great experience, you will most of the time never be able to glance at ANYTHING!!!  Of course depending where and when you work.  I did see a lot of CNA's work the night shift, which did allow about an hour or 2 from the hours of 2am to 4am.  So if you can handle it that could be a good option for you!
So, if you do have to work... don't let that stop you!!
You can still do it!!
For more great tips to help you stay focused you can see my book here!!

http://www.amazon.com/How-To-Succeed-Nursing-School/dp/1467950254/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372629217&sr=8-1&keywords=caroline+porter+thomas

Ok I will see you soon!
Love you!
- Caroline
Caroline@EmpoweRN.com






http://youtu.be/Y9v6y0UYYWM

Nursing Burnout! 10 Tips to LOVE Your Nursing Job ALL THE TIME!!

www.EmpoweRN.com
Hello again!
Welcome back to EmpoweRN!
          My name is Caroline Porter Thomas and I'm so excited to have you here!
I got a great video request from my nursing buddy Nurse Krystal who asked,
"Can you do a video on nurses and how to prevent getting burned out or becoming unhappy in the nursing field.  It's my passion but you can always tell when a nurse is burned out and does not like the job.  Why is this and how can it be prevented?"
          I'm really glad that you requested this video, because I do think that if you do not take action to enjoy your job in your nursing career, that the default is to eventually get nursing burnout....
          Although there are many happy nurses and so many ways to be in love with your nursing job, there are probably more ways that you can get burned out.
The job can be very physically and mentally challenging.  Most of the time you are working short handed and there will be multiple times that you will have to handle people directing anger towards you, when things are out of your hands.
Although there are many burnt out nurses, there are tons of ways that you could be really happy as a nurse!
The only problem is this... you really have to be active in learning new ways to stay positive and focused.
Here is a list of 10 things that I do to stay super excited about my job!
You can watch the video or read below... or both ;)

1. One of the very first things that I would recommend is beginning your day with being thankful, by writing down 5 things that you are grateful for.  When we are grateful for the things around us, we feel wealthy, and when we feel wealthy, we are happier :)
2. Another thing that I recommend is to always be on the lookout for ways to grow... become curious and interested in everything.  Ask anyone and everyone questions!!  About everything, new discoveries, new procedures, their personal lives... ect.
3. Stay busy in your body, but clear in your head... as you walk say THANK YOU!!!
4.  Avoid nurses that complain... nothing good can come from complaining and it will just bring you down... so you can do 2 things to get out of the situation.  1st say to that person playfully "If you didn't have this to complain about, then you would find something else ;)" or 2. My personal favorite, act ditzy... Really???? I didn't notice... the complainer will get tired of you and find someone else who gets it (hehe)!
5. Never ever compare your assignment with someone else.  This is a personal journey and you are given the assignment that you are supposed to have.
6. Plan on ways to fill your body with proper nutrients and hydration!  Please watch my video called:  Be an energetic nurse or nursing student!
7. Find your Creator in the hospital... if you look for love you will find it!
8. Turn harsh voices into funny sounds to erase the emotional impact and help you laugh about it!!!
9. Look for ways to spread love to your patients!  Look each of them in the eye with a welcoming smile!  Give appropriate and kind physical gestures, such as a gentle touch on the shoulder!
10. Find ways to go the extra mile.  If a co-worker asks you to start an IV, Document it as well and check to see if they are on IV fluids and then start it for them!  Little things like that will make you feel better and help everyone else around you as well!
Bonus ;)  Most importantly... do not take yourself too seriously!  Laugh at yourself when you make a mistake, be easy and fun to talk to!  Don't be afraid to ask a stupid question!
By the way!  More great tips to love your nursing job here!!
http://www.amazon.com/New-Nurse-Keep-First-Nursing/dp/1484177525/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1371849839&sr=8-2&keywords=caroline+porter+thomas




http://youtu.be/nU5A53znlIw

Nurse burnout,  Nursing burnout statistics nursing burnout prevention, Nursing burnout causes, Burn out, Burnout in nursing, Is nursing hard,

Is being a nurse hard, Nursing is hard,

Nursing, Are nurses happy, Happy nurse, Registered nurse, Registered nurse salary,, Nursing employment, Happy nurses, nursing career, employment nursing, registered nurses, tips for nurses, tips for new nurses, tips for nurses to be happy, burnout, burnt out nurses, nurse, nursing, new nurse, 

How to Study for Anatomy and Physiology!

Hello my EmpoweRN Loves!!! I am super excited about this week's video and program for you. If there is one question that I get all the time it is this: "How do you study for Anatomy and Physiology." This is the second largest question, after, "How do you study for nursing school."  I believe that A&P was the turning point in my academic success, because once I figured out how to study for anatomy and physiology, I asked myself this question... If I can do this... what else can I do??? So let me tell you a little bit about my story...  (you can read below and/or watch the video :) How to Study for Human Anatomy and Physiology!!                I accidentally found myself in anatomy and physiology 2 before taking anatomy and physiology 1. I realized that I needed to find a special way to study that involved using my body just as much (if not more) than my mind. Since I had never excelled at anything academically before I really did not have any frame of reference, I felt like I was on my own. I simply asked for guidance to anyone (or anything) that would listen. I believe our creator heard me and led me to this layout.            I was amazed to find out this anatomy and physiology study guide was actually fun and much easier! I was also intrigued to find out that knowing exactly what to do while studying for A&P was about 10% of the process. The rest of the program focuses on staying in a mindset that is focused and knows how capable each of us are. I believe if you use this program properly, it will change your life. Before starting anatomy and physiology 2, I was a C, sometimes B average student. After this class everything changed and about a year later, I was on the Deans list. My entire life changed after this one class.            I created a video/audio/pdf program to teach you how to study for A&P.  I will teach how I learned thousands of super hard words and develop a more photographic memory!            The price is simple, I have a suggested retail price of $17.97. If you cannot afford that please pay what you can. So please pick it up now, because I honestly cannot tell you how long I will have this available for.. maybe for another hour, maybe a week. When I feel like it is time to take it down, I will take it down :) Also, this should be available in most countries, it uses paypal :)           Make sure you share this with your friends... it is always so much more fun to have people to celebrate your good grades with!!  Study hard, stay focused... you can do this! Click Here to Purchase Now! Look for Buy ADD TO CART Button at bottom of page :) I love you guys!!!!! - Caroline Porter Thomas www.EmpoweRN.com New Nurse??!! How to Be a Nurse Nursing Student?? how to study for anatomy and physiology, anatomy and physiology study guides, anatomy and physiology, anatomy and physiology i, anatomy & physiology, study guide for anatomy and physiology, anatomy physiology, anatomy and physiology study aids, human anatomy and physiology, studying anatomy and physiology, anatomy and physiology study guide, anatomy and physiology study tools, anatomy and physiology 1, study help for anatomy and physiology, anatomy and physiology help, human anatomy & physiology, how to study anatomy and physiology, anatomy and physiology 2, human anatomy and physiology study guide, anatomy and physiology class, study anatomy and physiology, anatomy and physiology online, anatomy and physiology book, human anatomy physiology, basic anatomy and physiology, how to study for human anatomy and physiology, anatomy and physiology study, study tools for anatomy and physiology, interactive anatomy and physiology, study guide for human anatomy and physiology, anatomy and physiology course,