Category: Nursing School

Preparing for Senior Practicum

It’s that time of year where I know many nursing students are preparing to begin their senior practicum. At my nursing school this is when we were assigned a nurse and worked their shifts with them for 3 full weeks. You can read about my experience on labor and delivery for my senior practicum. I wanted to give some general tips that could help you no matter what unit you are on.

Pandemic Nursing School

First off, take a deep breath! You have made it to the end! This is likely your last clinical experience as a nursing student, congrats! I know things have been difficult being a nursing student during the pandemic- but I am here to tell you that we all felt unprepared when we went to practicum and when we started our first jobs. No matter how many clinical, sim labs, or classes we attended- nothing truly prepares you for being a nurse. You are going to be just fine. You can still be an amazing nurse despite lack of clinical time, online classes, missed sim labs-whatever it may be.

Practicum Placement

There is always a lot of talk that the only way to get a certain specialty or job is through practicum placement, but that’s simply not true. Do not stress about where you have practicum. Yes it’s a great experience and I’m so thankful I got labor and delivery for mine but it is a short amount time and one experience. You can still get into a specialty or unit or whatever you want no matter where you did practicum. And your nursing career is a lot of time. Years. There is way more to it than the new graduate days. I follow a nurse who after 10 years just got her first hospital job and her first job on labor & delivery. If you don’t get the dream job right away- you have time. You can read here about not getting the dream job.

Nursing School Clinical

Practicum Tips:

  • Be early. Just do it.
  • Take initiative. If you hear of an interesting case or procedure, ask if you can observe/assist.
  • Review medications/diagnosis/procedures you may see on your unit. For instance, BP meds, cholesterol meds, insulin, and pain meds for a med/surg unit.
  • Ask questions. This is your last time as a student, learn what you can!
  • Pack plenty of food. Sometimes you don’t have time to make it to a vending machine or cafeteria. And a 12 hour shift (even 8 hours) is looooong. You don’t want to be low on snacks or hydration.
  • Bring a jacket. Even if you are cold natured. The hospital is freezing. And if you’re working night shift, it’s even colder.
  • Help the CNAs when you can, but remember you are there to learn nursing skills and the role of a nurse. Let the CNAs know what you will be doing. If they are rude, take it with a grain of salt and move on.
  • Same goes for rude nurses. Sometimes nurses are overworked, understaffed, and can be not kind. This isn’t okay, but nurses are humans. Again, take it with a grain of salt. (Of course, if you are experiencing lateral violence- report it.)
  • Enjoy knowing you made it to your last clinical and you are months away from being a nurse! Even if practicum isn’t where or what you wanted, try to take in the moment and enjoy what you can.

It’s okay if you don’t love clinical

I’m going to be honest for a second. I did not enjoy many of my clinical. They was a lot of awkwardly waiting around and reviewing charts. 8 students trying to use one vital sign machine. Nurses and CNAs who didn’t want to be bothered with me.  Some clinical experiences were absolutely amazing, but a lot were not. There were times I wondered if I made a mistake going to nursing school. But, I went on to love nursing. I am a caring and competent nurse. I have even precept (train) new graduate nurses and nursing students. Nursing is so different than clinical. It is also broad and has so many different opportunities, you can find something you love.

Good luck on your practicum! Graduation is just around the corner! Please reach out if you have any questions or just need some encouragement! I love connecting with nursing students and new grad nurses!

Blog Post for Senior Nursing Students:

NCLEX 101: How to pass your NCLEX and earn your credentials

My NCLEX Test Day Experience

History and Meaning Behind the Pinning Ceremony

PLN’s 100th Blog Post!

Today we are celebrating Peace Love Nursing 100th Blog Post!

It’s hard to believe I have had this blog for 5 years and today is my 100th blog post! Five years ago, I was a nursing student & LPN and loved reading blogs from all different types of people. I love writing and wanted to share my own thoughts and experiences through a blog. Through the support of my husband, friends, and family Peace Love Nursing was created. It’s scary to put your thoughts out into the world, but also so rewarding. My little corner of the internet has given me the opportunity to connect with some amazing people and has provided a lot of personal growth.

Lets look at few blog post from the past:

Hello World!

Ahh, my first blog post. This will always hold a special place in my heart. It was short, sweet, and to the point- but it was such a big step for someone who is very shy and anxious!

OB Clinical Rotation

This is by far my most popular blog post- with over 7,800 views! I loved my OB clinical and really enjoyed writing a detailed post about the difference areas of OB clinical and how to prepare.

Stepping Away from Nursing

This was one my most vulnerable blogs I have ever read but one I am proud of for putting into the world. I shared my mental health struggles through the Delta wave and my decision to step away from nursing.

Nurses Supporting Nurses: Support Group

This is another point of pride for me. Through the encouragement of my family and friends I have created a Support Group for nurses that will start in March. I’m hoping to help my fellow nurses gain some community and support.

I want to sincerely thank everyone who has ever taken the time to read a post, share a post, comment on a post, or encourage me on this journey. I really cannot put in to words how much it means to me. Thank you.

Nurses Supporting Nurses: Support Group

I am excited to share that I will be facilitating a peer support group for nurses! The past 3 plus years have been tough. We all have gone through hard times- both personally and professionally. I have been feeling a pull to find a way to help support my fellow nurses. To give them a place to be heard and find community. Healthcare in general has failed to support nurses and all healthcare workers mental health during this time. This is my small attempt to reach and help at least one person. This support group is open to any nurse, CNA, or nursing student- LPN, RN, NP, PhD, CRNA in any field of nursing.

Support Group Sessions

Our sessions will meet every Wednesday at 8pm EST. We will meet on Google Meet- so you will need to create a google account to join (this is easy and free!) I will send you an email with the code for our meeting room before each session. During the session, the floor will be open to discuss anything the group wants. We can choose a topic, or simply share our stories and what is on our hearts. This group will be a space to find community amongst fellow nurses.

To Join The Nurses Supporting Nurses Support Group, please fill out the form below! You will receive a Welcome Email with more information soon!

Nurses Supporting Nurses Support Group

* indicates required



 

If you are not ready to join- please subscribe to the blog at the bottom of the page to receive updates 

I hope you will be able to join us for this support group. I think it will be helpful for all of us to have a place to go for community and support. If you have any questions, please do not hesistate to send me an email at megan@nursessupportingnurses.com. Also, please follow me on Instagram for more information on our support group and other self care and mental health resources.

Disclaimer: This is not intended to replace any type of professional mental health or psychiatric care. I am not a mental health professional. I am a Registered Nurse and this group is meant to be a supportive environment to connect with other nurses. If you have any suicidal, homicidal, or self harm ideation- please contact 911.

Self Care Wednesday: Read a Book or a Blog

Happy Hump Day! Today’s self care activity is to read a book or a blog. I encourage you to read whatever makes you happy, but I am also going to share some blog post for you to enjoy. Feel free to add a nice cup of coffee, tea, or wine to further enhance your self care!

Travel Nursing

My First Travel Nurse Contract: My thoughts and experiences

Travel Nurse Contract #2: Washington, D.C.

Tiny/RV Living

Culbertson’s Go Tiny

Nursing School

NCLEX 101: How to pass your NCLEX and earn your credentials

Q&A: RN to BSN program

Nursing

When you don’t get the “dream job”

Lifestyle

Our Engagement Story

Valentine’s Self Care Week

I hope you were able to find something you were interested in to read! What are some blog or book recommendations you have? 

 

 

 

Virtual Valentine 2022

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I Love Nurses

It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day on Peace Love Nursing if I didn’t talk about my love for nurses or nursing. While I still do love nursing, given me still being away from my profession, I decided to talk about my love for nurses today.

Nurses are the best. They are kind, intelligent, bad ass life savers. I may be bias, but they will forever hold a special place in my heart. Nurses I have worked with have helped me through some of the best and worst times of my life- both professionally and personally.

Thank you- CNAs, Nurses (LPN, RN) and NPs, Phds, & CRNAs for all the amazing things you do with your patients and your coworkers. The work you do is so important. You are so important. And you are so much more than your title and profession. You deserve love and happiness.

Self Care Week

A reminder, that this week is self care week in honor of Valentine’s Day! You can find my full blog post here, but I would love for you to join us in being mindful about taking a few minutes out of each day to take care of ourself and do something that makes us happy. Check out my blog post for more information! You can follow me along on this self care week and share yours by joining me on Instagram.

Thank You, Thank You 

Thank you all for being here and the love you have shown me over the past five years! I can’t tell you how it means to me when anyone takes the time to read my blog post. I hope this Valentine’s Day you know you are worthy of love and happiness.

Xoxo,

Megan

Valentine’s Self Care Week

Hello! Happy Saturday! I hope everyone had a good week. Let’s be honest, I say it a lot, but the past two years has been difficult for all of us. So much change and unknown in our daily life. Self care is a very easy thing to put on the back burner. In honor of the day of love (Valentine’s Day) I am hosting a self care week and I would like for everyone to join me! Nurse or not. It is super simple, each day I have a self care activity for you to engage in. If the activity doesn’t work for you or that day, feel free to improvise with what does! The point of this is not to be stressful or another thing on your “to do list.” It is meant to simply encourage you to find joy in something everyday.

I know that there is a lot of toxic positivity and superficial self care on social media these days and I don’t want you to view this as that! I know that self care is so much more than skin care or taking a walk- but those things can be self care and they can be helpful! Finding joy in small things, even when life is really hard, is an act of being human and helping to find your way to happiness again.

If you don’t already, follow me on Instagram! I will be sharing my self care week on stories and would love to be able to see yours as well! You can always email me using my contact page to share! I love connecting with nurses and anyone who is kind enough to take the time to read and engage with my blog!

Thank you for being here and the continued support on my little corner of the internet. Let’s all take some time next week to should ourselves some much deserved care and love!

Black Nurses Leaders- Black History Month

February is Black History Month and we are celebrating it today on the blog by discussing three influential Black nurses who helped to pave the way for equality and provided excellent care to their patients.

Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN (1958-Present)

Dr. Ernest Grant was the first male to be elected president of the American Nurse Association. He has over 30 years of nursing experience and is a burn-care and fire-safety expert. His career achievements include serving as the burn outreach coordinator for the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Grant ran the public burn prevention program, promoting safety and works to reduce burn-related injuries through education and legislative process. He has received multiple awards for his work- including Nurse of The Year award presented by President George W. Bush for his work treating burn patients from the World Trade Center site.

Estelle Massey Osborn, MSN, RN (1901-1981)

Estelle Massey Obsorne lead the way for Black nurses to enter leadership and education roles in nursing. When she entered nursing school, only 14 of the 1300 nursing schools in American were open to Black students. She went on to become the first Black nurse to earn a Master’s degree. In 1945, she became assistant professor at New York University, and was the first black instructor. She was a member of the ANA Board of Directors and served in many leader ship rolls- including first vice-president of the National Council of Negro Women.

Adah Belle Thoms (1870-1943)

Adah Belle Thoms studied nursing at the Women’s Infirmary and School of Therapeutic Massage. She graduated as the only Black woman in her class. She continued her education at Lincoln Hospital School of Nursing. She went on to be named acting director of Lincoln Hospital in New York and served in that position for 18 years. However, she never received the official title due to racist policies. Ms. Thoms cofounded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses, serving as President for 7 years. Later, she successfully lobbied for Black Nurses to serve in WWII with the American Red Cross and Army Nurse Corps. In 1976, she was one of the first inductees to the America Nurse Association Hall of Fame.

To learn more about Black Nurses who have lead the way in nursing, see 2020 Influential Black Nurses blog.

 

References:

https://www.nursingworld.org/ana/leadership-and-governance/board-of-directors/ana-president/

http://ojin.nursingworld.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/AboutANA/Honoring-Nurses/NationalAwardsProgram/HallofFame/19761984/osboem5559.html

https://www.chamberlain.edu/blog/a-celebration-of-10-famous-black-nurses-in-history

https://www.nahc.org/bhm-thoms/

A Merry Little Christmas- 2020


Hello, friends! It’s really hard to believe Christmas is just a few short days away. I know Christmas is filled with joy and magic but it also can be filled with a lot of sadness for people. Add in 2020 + the pandemic and it really can feel unbearable. This year I know most people are feeling at least a little bit of grief, sadness, anger, frustration, guilt, or maybe a combination of these things. I’m here to tell you, that’s okay. I know some people have suffered unimaginable losses this year- loved ones have passed, jobs have been lost, families are separated. If you fall into any of these categories, I truly am sorry for you hurt and I’m sending you love. If you don’t completely fall into these categories- I’m sending you love too. It’s easy to hear, time and time again, to “look on the bright side” or “others have it much worse.” While I think appreciation and gratitude are important, I also thinks it’s okay to feel whatever you are feeling, and not have to apologize or feel guilt on top of it.

Last night, I snapped a picture of Declan in front of the Christmas tree and posted with the caption “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” This got me to thinking, this year is hard. We are all trying to make it through. What if we try to have a Merry Little Christmas, too? It doesn’t have to be perfect, we don’t have to ignore our sadness or loss, but maybe we can find a sprinkle of Christmas cheer among the hurt? I got to work last night and came up with four simple tasks to do each day to try to bring some happiness into Christmas 2020.

Tuesday

A Few of my Favorite Things

Today, I want each of you to think of some of your favorite parts of the holiday!

My answers: Favorite Movie: Christmas Vacation, Favorite Song: Carol of the Bells, Favorite Treat: Peanut Butter Blossoms/Good ole fashioned cut out sugar cookies! The next part of this activity is to find time to enjoy all of these things this week! Listen to your favorite song in the car, bake or purchase a holiday treat, and curl up with a blanket and hot chocolate to enjoy your favorite movie!

Wednesday

Self Care Day

Before we head into the holidays, I think it’s so important we find some time to practice some healthcare! This can be anything that brings you peace and relaxation.

Some ideas may be:

  • Get out in nature! Go on a walk, run, or hike. If there is snow, build a snowman!
  • Drive around a neighborhood to look at Christmas lights! Bonus if you bring a delicious hot beverage with you.
  • The typical but always relaxing face mask, bubble bath, painting your nails….
  • Read a few pages of a book or a blog that you enjoy.
  • Color, doodle, paint, or craft.
  • Bake your favorite holiday treat or meal.

Check out my blog post from this spring with more ideas on self care while social distancing!

Thursday

Practicing Gratitude

Christmas Eve- and I think this will be a great day to focus on what we are grateful and thankful for. I know this day will look different for many of us, and that may make us feel sad or left out. Again, it’s okay to have these feelings. The point of this is not to get rid of or ignore the negative feelings, but to add in some positive feelings.

Take a moment to list and reflect on three things your grateful for. Even among the hurt, we can find things good in our life if we take a moment to look.mThree things I’m grateful for: My husband and fur babies, my family and friends, and Christmas lights. <3

Friday

Together Even if Miles Apart

Our wedding party & amazing friends- I miss them all so much!

The last day of Merry Little Christmas is reaching out to someone you don’t get to see this year on Christmas. It can be a family member or friend. Even a coworker! Send them a text, give them a call, FaceTime/Zoom, or even send them a Snapchat with a fun filter! The whole point is to reach out and send someone some love. It doesn’t have to be long or time consuming.

Working the Holidays

Before my Christmas Shift in   2018

If you are working this year- in any capacity- THANK YOU! I have worked many holidays including Thanksgiving this year. I know we try to make the best of it, but I also know if we are being honest, it sucks. Merry Little Christmas was made with you in mind! No matter what your schedule is, all these things can be done with very little time! However, I hope they will have an impact on your week and make working the holidays just a little bit better. Again- THANK YOU for what you do.

Join me on Instagram

If you follow me on Instagram, I will be posting every day about the activity, as well as discussing in my stories. I also created some simple templates so you can share what you did each day! I would love for you to join me! If not, please comment on here of FB, or tag me on social media to share what you are doing each day! <3

Instagram: @peacelovenursing

Facebook: Peace Love Nursing Blog

 

Hometown Newspaper Article + Weekend Happenings

Hello, friends! I hope you all are doing well. I woke up Friday morning to something really cool! I was featured in a newspaper article in my hometown newspaper. The article was written by John Hamilton, an amazing journalist, writer, and overall creative person! We actually went to high school together which made this all the more awesome. The article was about my journey as a travel nurse and it was really special and humbling to be recognized by the place I called home for 19 years. Saturday, a friend from high school sent a picture of me on the front page of the print paper! So I have a few copies coming for keepsakes. I’m so thankful to John for reaching out! Check out the article by clicking here.

Weekend Happenings

After a really tough couple of shifts my husband had a few surprises this weekend to help lift my spirts. Friday night he cooked a seafood boil outside complete with crab legs, shrimp, corn, and potatoes! It was delicious and it was so nice to sit outside in the 75 degree air and enjoy dinner with him. We ended the night sitting by the fire.

Saturday we got up and went to Chesapeake Beach, Maryland! It was absolutely beautiful! I have never been to a beach farther north than the SC beaches and it did not disappoint. It was 75 and sunny so not weather to sunbathe in but it was a perfect day. We enjoyed seafood by the water and the took a walk along the dock and the board walk. Being near the water or the mountains always has a way of helping to heal my soul.

 

 

Have a great week friends and make sure to practice some self care! <3

 

 

 

Tips for Success in Online Classes

Happy first week of school to everyone heading back to the grind this week! 2020 has definitely been the whirlwind of the year. I commend everyone who is starting or continuing their education in 2020, I know it can’t be easy to be going to school during this pandemic! I wanted to take today to share some things I found that helped me during my online classes throughout the course of my college career. I’ll preface this by saying I did NOT take any classes during the time of Covid, so I totally understand this is a bigger and new degree of stress and change! However, my Associate Degree in Science I took almost all my classes online (I would say 40 plus credit hours were completed online plus another 10 hours hybrid) and I also obtained my BSN through a completely online RN to BSN program at MUSC. So I do have some experience in the online education world!

Get Organized

Seriously, missing an assignment can REALLY hurt your grade. And when your not going to class and seeing other students/instructors it can be really easy to miss an assignment. You need to use a calendar- whether a paper planner or an app on your phone. Double and triple check you have the right dates for assignment due dates.

Find a Study Space

I know this is probably harder in the days of Covid, so it’s even more important to find a space that you can use to study. I found I did well being at a desk/table most the time. Since a lot of the time will actually be spent at home, and not on campus or at coffee shops, create a space that will help switch your mind from “home” to “school.”

Turn things in EARLY

Guys, Wifi issues or the portal being down can be an end all for online classes! The stress that you will experience trying to get an assignment to upload or internet to work in the last minutes before an assignment is due cannot be expressed! Just turn it in early.

Get Help ASAP

If you do poorly on a paper or test, or you feel like you’re not understanding, reach out for help ASAP. The further in the semester it becomes, and the more information you’re confused on, the harder it is to recover and raise your grade. Email your instructor if you need help. See if they can set up a zoom office hour. Look for a tutor. See what your college offers- both of mine provided free tutoring for students. Just please, don’t let pride or embarrassment get in the way- ask for HELP. It’s okay. We all need it sometimes.

Utilize Online Resources 

There is a plethora of resources online to help you in your nursing school journey! YouTube has a lot of educational content that can be used along side your college textbooks and lectures. (Note: This is just supplemental material to help you better understand nursing concepts and lecture material.) Nurse Sara of the Registered Nurse RN offers a ton of free content for NCLEX, nursing school, and your career as a nurse! Khan Academy has a lot of excellent videos and resources for science and math classes. Make sure what you are using is reputable, but there is so much knowledge and help on the internet you can utilize to be successful!

Believe You Can Do It

I think one of the best things you can do is to truly keep the mindset, you CAN do online classes. I always hear people tell me “I could never do online classes!” I get it, I felt that way too. But I did it, and you can too.

Good luck to everyone heading back to class- whether in person or virtual. I hope you have a successful semeseter!

Please reach out with any questions or if you just need someone to talk too! You also can see my post on Three Tips for Nursing School for some more support and information on starting your nursing school journey!