#1. Minimize

The best way to minimize is by having a Yard Sale. I went back home after 6 months of travelling to do a Yard Sale. There was no need to have a closet or dressers full of clothes and 100 pair of shoes collecting dust.  I ended up making $500 in selling some goods that I no longer needed. Whatever you don’t sale; you can donate the remainder of your items to a Salvation Army or a good will. Lastly you can sale your items on an apps like Offer up or Letgo.

#2. What to leave behind

Leave bed comforters and your 50 pairs of shoes behind. Pack your toiletries that are necessary don’t pack 5 different lotions, you wont use them. Leave your coffee makers, décor stuff, TV’s, printers, or other big stuff that will occupy your car space.

#3. Pack what’s important

Make sure to pack important documents like all your certifications, bring the originals. Facilities sometimes will ask for these on your first day of orientation. They will not allow copies, so please bring your originals. For example, all licenses, compliance documents, car titles, and any important bills you dont want to forget to pay.

#4. Suitcase it Up

Pack light enough to pack your car up. Pack 2-3 suitcases, they’re easy to travel with and fit perfectly in a compact car. Pack a few items for all seasons incase you decide to take a trip elsewhere during your contract. Don’t pack boxes or heavy items, like candles, or any breakable items. Remember you’re on a travel assignment you want to be able to pick up and be ready to go onto to your next assignment.

As a travel nurse, you can expect to face many challenges. Here are a few examples of the most common challenges I have experienced as a travel nurse…

Lack of Orientation:

Orientation is brisk and can sometimes be very limited when  it comes to details.  Your first day usually involves going to HR getting your badge, meeting your supervisor, getting a tour of the facility and the unit you are assigned on. Second day usually consists of getting familiar with the charting system. Although you may be familiar with the system, it’s still required and is actually a great refresher tool (plus you get paid). Third day involves orienting with another staff nurse and being on your actual unit. I recommend be prepared to take on an assignment and start charting. Have the nurse who is orienting you check your work and make sure your charting is accurate. Each facility is different so make sure you follow the facility policies to avoid making mistakes.

Lack of Team Support:

This is something we tend to come across especially when everyone is busy. Just make sure to reach out to your team, ask for help and delegate as necessary. Don’t be afraid to voice any concerns to the charge nurse, and most importantly keep your charge nurse informed and updated about your patients. For example, if a patient is not doing well or came back from a procedure who requires closer monitoring, give the charge nurse a heads up. Trust me they will appreciate it. This will help them make the assignment accordingly, and you could get a chance to step in and help.

Caring for higher level Patients:

As a travel nurse, we sometimes may get assigned tasks that we are not specialized in. Only do what’s in your scope of practice! Remember it’s your license that is at risk. If you feel uncomfortable caring for a certain patient, or performing a procedure, speak up and say something. For example, I cared for a patient who required Peritoneal Dialysis. I had never done the procedure before and remembered during my orientation, travel nurses were not allowed to perform the procedure. The procedure requires specific training that all staff received from the facility. I had to nicely inform my charge nurse (as she rolled her eyes) that I was not trained to perform the procedure. She ended up having me switch the patient for another patient with a staff nurse who is trained to perform the procedure. That was the best choice for both me and the patient! Don’t be afraid to speak up and advocate for yourself. Remember it’s never about you and always about the patients’ safety.

Floating:

Travel nurses have to be extremely flexible. Yes, you will be floated! My advice to you is to be prepared to float at the start, middle, and/or end of your shift. When you float make sure to introduce yourself to the charge nurse before you get your assignment. Ask for a quick unit orientation from the charge nurse to know where to find equipment, and make sure you have access to the med room prior to starting your shift. If not this can delay you, BIG TIME. Also ask if there is anything in particular the unit requires for example, “do they have a CNA on the floor or will you be providing total patient care during your shift?”. Find out if there is a nurse who will break you for lunch or if they use a buddy system. Whenever you take your break always remember to handoff and give a report.

Scheduling:

You won’t always get to pick or make your schedule. If you’re a night nurse and prefer working your shifts back to back, ask for a blocked schedule in your contract. If you have a vacation or time you want off make sure to request it in your initial contract. If a manager approves time off when you’re hired, you will most likely get the time requested off. Some facilities are more flexible than others, but just a heads up some staffing will make your schedule. Keep in mind you can always switch shifts with another staff nurse or traveler, if permitted. Flexibility is key as a travel nurse. You will usually have to work every other weekend but if your schedule is scattered and you’re starting to feel overworked please inform your recruiter and hiring manager to help make changes to your schedule.

I hope these pointers help, if you have further questions please comment below.

CAREGIVER BURNOUT

Do you sometimes feel torn up, mentally, spiritually and physically exhausted from a work shift? New grad or not, you will have moments where you will “check out”. I’m guilty myself of having some of these moments.  So lately I’ve been practicing meditation. Why? Because I’ve been feeling overwhelmed and overworked. I think I get bit burned out, I’m almost sure of this. We will hit these walls during our nursing careers, guaranteed. The most important thing to do though is to be aware and learn how to handle it by taking control. This is important because the moment you lose control, you will feel anxiety, dread going into work, or even doubt the whole nursing thing entirely.  So I decided to share some tips that have been helping me stay on track and in control. Enjoy!

How do you know you’re getting burned out? Here are some signs!

1 Fatigue: Constantly feeling tired even after getting plenty of sleep and rest. Experiencing low energy levels more often than you’re accustomed, or simply having an extremely difficult time getting out of bed to get ready for work.

2 Anxiety: Fear of  going to work. That dreaded feeling of not wanting to go to work. This can include finding yourself calling into work sick frequently.

3 Compassion Fatigue: Feeling less compassion for your patients. Compassion fatigue also known as “Secondary Traumatic stress” is a natural consequence of working with people who have experienced extremely stressful events. (Nurse Link, 2018). After being exposed to multiple patients and all of their stressors or grief, you as a nurse can take on all those stressors which may cause you to feel overwhelmed or exhausted.

4 Trouble Sleeping and/or improper food consumption: Not being able to sleep or constantly waking during your sleep hours. This could be anxiety or sleep insomnia. You may find yourself not eating right, eating too much and sometimes not at all. This results in . Losing or gaining too much weight in a short time period.

5 Constantly sick: Constantly fighting  a cold that never seems to clear up or experiencing new health issues like high blood pressure.  Stress can affect your body ability to fight off physical threats.

 

5 Ways to prevent Caregiver Burnout

1 Stop and Take a break: If your feeling all these symptoms it may be best to take some time off from work to regroup. If you have vacation or sick time please use it, and take a vacation or spend some family or self-care time.

2 Create a personal stress reducer strategy for work: Breathing exercises. Count to 10 while taking deep breaths when you start to feel anxious at work. If you’re still feeling overwhelmed during your shifts, take FULL advantage of your 15-minute breaks. Take a few minutes to go outside and get some fresh air. If you need to be active, go on a short 10 minute walk, or perhaps try walking up and down a few flights of stairs. You can also find a quiet break room to help you clear your head and regroup.

3 Set some realistic and reasonable expectations for your work performance. Set priorities and goals each day and don’t forget to ask for help when needed.  Do only what’s in your scope of practice and delegate tasks as necessary. Try doing things with a teamwork approach. If you are caring for a difficult patient requiring more time and care, ask another nurse to help and be sure that you create a two way street. Let your coworkers know that you will be available for them when they are experiencing a similar situation.  You can also watch Nurse Mo’s advice video on how to deal with difficult people at work for more ideas.

4 Exercise and Eat right: Exercise helps reduce anxiety and depression. Exercise also helps you to relieve stress while putting you work on hold. Eat healthy! This will give you energy and reduce weight gain or other health complications like high blood pressure that can be induced by stress.

5 Transition into a different nursing job, role or specialty. Maybe it’s time to opt out and seek  a new nursing role or go into a different specialty, or even different facility or unit. I’m a travel nurse and it helps me to avoid burnout. I am often moving to a new city or facility. It changes the environment and allows you to meet new people and get a fresh perspective. Get out there and explore your limitless options as a nurse.

If you’re experiencing any of the burnout symptoms, please remember to stop and take a break or seek professional help to avoid feeling powerless.

Latin Nurse Teresa

I hope everyone had a great Christmas spending time with their loved ones. Have you gotten a head start on your New Year’s Resolutions? Here are 5 things  I plan on stopping and starting for the new year and the years to come…

5 Things I want to START Doing

1. Do one good deed each day. This doesn’t have to involve money. It could be complimenting someone, giving someone a hug, or doing something kind for someone. I think we get so wrapped up in our hectic days that we forget to return simple kindness.

2. Explore a new country annually. Each year I set a goal to travel to a new country to learn more about their culture and lifestyle and I want to make sure I continue this practice. I’ve managed to meet this goal for the past couple of years and I’m excited to keep on accomplishing this. I went to Cuba and learned how the history of Cuba and America influences there relationship today. For example, they don’t accept American credit cards and now I understand why. Another country I explored over the years was Costa Rica.  During my volunteer work in Costa Rica, at a children’s hospital they worked with minimal equipment and were still able to provide medical treatment with compassionate care. During my first trip to Europe I visited Paris and Italy. I learned some art History and that they love taking their afternoon siestas to help them regroup. Something I think Americans would benefit by doing. This year’s trip will be somewhere in Southern America. So stay tuned. 🙂

3. Choosing to start each day with Gratitude. It’s great to start your day with a positive reflection of what you’re thankful for. So start each day with a statement, “I am grateful for… “. For example, recently I told myself that I am grateful for the support of my family. Being a Latina helps me appreciate the importance of family ties in Hispanic culture. Starting each day with a statement of what you are thankful for will improve your mood and overall positive thinking, GUARANTEED!

4. Meditate daily. Whether it’s 5 minutes or an hour a day, I want to be able to set in stillness to release any stress, tension, or anxiety and maintain high energy throughout my day. I can feel the benefits of mediation in my increased inner self-awareness which often gives me a new prospective.

5. Invest money into my life goals. Since I’ve become a travel nurse, I sometimes splurge on expensive dining, and shopping. For example I travel with 20 different lipsticks. So instead of spending my money on frivolous things, this year I’ve decided to invest more of my money into more meaningful things like my brand or purchasing my first home.

5 Things I want to Stop Doing

1. Caring too much about what others think. I sometimes tend to take people’s criticism too seriously which causes me to get upset. In reality, I’m letting that person have control of my feelings about myself. In the past I have let the negative energy of others influence my attitude. Life is too short to let others dictate your thinking.

2. Being lazy when it comes to meal prepping. I’ve been a tad bit lazy with meal prepping and tired of eating my same meals so I’ve been eating out more. At restaurants I select healthier choices like salmon, chicken or salad, but I don’t feel it’s the same as cooking from home. My goal is to cook multiple meals at a time and start freezing some of them to reduce the need to eat out. It also saves you money. Eat right feel right. If you have some recipes, feel free to send them over to me!

3. Self Doubt. “We all have strengths and things we are good at so just go for it. Stop questioning yourself and delaying your dreams. We all need to live the best life we can and not let our insecurities take over.” I have to stop my own self doubt and start really telling myself those things.

4. Stop being judgmental. Stop beating myself up and start giving myself more compliments and credit. I tend to do this with my fitness goals or personal goals. I want fast results and want to accomplish my goals instantly. *PS Remember to appreciate your body and how far you’ve come and the goals you’ve already accomplished.

5. Stop playing it safe or waiting for a better time. We always hear that there is never a perfect time to take a risk and if you wait around for it, it will never come. So I plan to start living my full life now. I’m going to stop letting fear get in the way. For example, I was scared to start travel nursing. I kept pushing it off after I filled out several applications to the point I started stressing myself out. I finally said to myself just pick one already! So I did and accepted a job offer. Learn to distinguish between fear and careful risk. If you’re carefully weighing alternatives and have considered all the possibilities then commit to it. Don’t look back or second-guess yourself. Look forward and embrace your dreams.

I hope you challenge yourself to start and stop 5 things! Feliz Año!

~Teresa

Staying fit during the holidays is no easy task. All of the food you have been told to stay away from presents itself to you all that same time! So I’m here to give you a few quick tips on getting a head start on your New Year’s Resolution.

1. MEAL PREP! Pack your lunch and snacks in advance to avoid eating all of the holiday junk at work. If you know your work bestie is bringing by her famous chocolate chip cookies, try to limit yourself to only one. Snacks will keep you energized and it’ll help stop the cravings throughout your work shift. During this time of the year, I love keeping apples and almonds on hand.

2. HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE! It’s winter and cold out so were less likely to drink water. Fill up those water bottles during your shift or challenge yourself to drink a gallon a day.. Your body doesn’t know if you’re hungry or thirsty, so go ahead and fill up on plenty of H20! Every two hours, guzzle down a bottle of water! If you need a little help staying hydrated, buy the cute water bottle from Target, and get used to filling it up multiple times throughout your day. You can also spruce up your water by adding lemon, lime, cucumbers, or even mint! If you’re filled up on water, all of the amazing food won’t be such a temptation.

3. NEW FITNESS MEMBERSHIP! If you’re in need of a more structural workout environment where equipment is available for use, joining a gym is a step you can take. Gyms are less busy and prices go up at the start of each year, so let this be a motivation to sign up now. (You can also simply find a gym buddy who already has a gym membership and tag along with them! If gyms aren’t necessarily your thing, there are exercise studios that offer deals and special promotions during the holidays, too! You can take advantage of free trial sessions offered at different fitness studios, such as YogaWorks, Hot8Yoga or Cycle House. Working out with a friend or a group of people will definitely get you motivated!

4. SET A CHALLENGE! Go on a hike, take a cycling or boxing class, ski for the first time, sign up for your first 5K, or you can even participate in some sort of weight lifting competition. LOL! Be RISKY! If that’s a bit extreme for you, give yourself an easier challenge like increasing the amount of miles you normally would run or by staying 10 more minutes on the StairMaster. If you’re someone like me who enjoys lifting, increase those weights! Spice up your routine, challenge yourself. It may be seem hard at first, but after you complete your workout, it will be so rewarding!

5.  PLAN AHEAD TO STAY ACTIVE! Plan your workouts so you can make them a part of your daily routine. Whatever physical activity you plan on engaging in, be it snowboarding, rowing, jogging, etc., set a designated time for it! Be sure to keep “Working Out” as apart of your daily regimen. It will do you much justice. Working out at the same times can also help. If you aren’t able to make time during your busy schedule, give yourself small fun things to do while working. Lunge from the car to the hospital, do some squats during your down time, think of anything! How ever you have to stay active, make sure you stick with the plans!

These 5 fit tips will help you get ahead and will make the commitment to your New Year’s Resolution much easier. Get a little bit of practice in now while you can before January 1st comes!

Being a nurse is challenging, were constantly running around, barley catching a break to eat, void or hydrate during our shifts. Were running on low energy levels because of our long-ass shifts and our constant weekly schedule change; or some nurses also have families to attend to. Nurse’s when you’re off do something nice for yourself. Travelers we have the luxury to treat our travel assignments like an extended vacation.  I’m not saying go spend your weekly paycheck at the bar but “Treat Yo’Self” Do things that make you happy or feel good. I thought I would share some of my favorite ways on how I treat myself when I’m not working.

Ways to “Treat Yo’Self”

1. Make an appointment to a beauty salon for a new cut, hair color change, blow out, or to get your eyebrows waxed or threaded away. No need for an event for a trip to the beauty salon, do it for you. Lets keep it real, what nurse feels glam after working a shift. So book that salon appointment. You deserve it.
2. Book a massage. I absolutely love Massages. Check out group-on or living social for great deals. Try either deep-tissue for overworking muscles or reflexology to relieve tension. Our job requires physical demands so we must recover in order to recharge for our work-days.
3. Go get a Pedicures or a manicure. Average pedicure runs $25-30. Absolutely worth it! Some nail salons will offer, wine, coffee, or let you bring your own beverage, an additional perk to enjoy your nail salon visit.
4. Go shopping. Who doesn’t love some retail therapy. Don’t need to splurge at Bloomingdales, maybe purchase a new bright lipstick or that outfit you saw while scrolling down on your Instagram feed; or purchase those shoes, heels you’ve been eyeing for awhile. You deserve it, no time for shopping remorse, another paycheck is on it’s way.
5. Treat yourself to a good meal. I’m a foodie, and always looking for a new coffee shop or restaurant with 5 stars and $$$. Make that reservation to that five star steakhouse you’ve been wanting to try out. Or make a stop at a yummy dessert place you’ve been avoiding. Forget counting calories for a day, I’m a fitness junky but one day wont kill you.
6. Be a Tourist in your city for a day, no need to be a travel nurse to explorer. Go to a local museum that interest you or a new event that is happening. Try something new, like a music festival or food truck that just opened up in your city.
7. Take a last minute spontaneous trip. I love taking last minute trips it adds adventure to our lives and a memories you won’t forget. Book a flight within days of take off and download Hotel Tonight app for great Hotel deals. I’m a traveler, so I love to just get in my car and drive to the next city for a day or two.