Self-Care – Eric's Page

I intend on becoming licensed in the state of Maine (Potentially CT). Maine is a compact state. The application process that can be done online. There is a background check/fingerprinting, fees, submission of ID, and an exam to take in order to attain the license. I did not see any other information online about this. I know I will also be working with my school to get my information sent out to the state of Maine. I also have been offered work in Connecticut. While this is not my first choice, it is my backup plan in case anything was to change in my plan.

Reflecting on the presentation from the medical professional health program, I thought it was great to know that there are resources out there to refer to. Throughout my time in nursing school, it never occurred to me that nurses would divert or use medications on the job. Being a job where human lives are at stake, this was a surprise to me. However, after this presentation, I realized that this is a real problem and any suspected impairment/use on the job must be immediately reported. Knowing that this resource is available makes me feel more comfortable about reaching out to someone about this topic. I liked how in this presentation we heard from an actual nurse who was using on the job. They went through their entire recovery process, and it was great to see the positive changes this program made on their life.

I also thought that hearing from the district attorney was very informative. Hearing about real life examples of mistakes, malpractice, and negligence was a little scary but also helpful to learn about. While some examples were more extreme than others, this presentation really stressed how important it was to remember your responsibilities as a nurse. My main takeaways from this were the importance of the little things, how important it is to stay on top of your game, and it is better to be safe than sorry. In the future to protect myself and my license from legal issues, I will make sure to take care of myself. I will do this by getting adequate sleep, having a regular exercise routine, and healthy diet. This will help to prevent burnout. Lastly, I will always cover my bases and if I am unsure about something, will never hesitate to reach out to a colleague for help.

I am excited to begin working and making meaningful impacts on patient outcomes. I am also excited to continue my educational journey as a nurse and to find out what kind of nursing I really enjoy. I am most anxious about making a mistake or not knowing exactly what to do in practice. While I understand that there is still plenty of orientation and learning to do, I get nervous thinking about being in a situation where I could make the wrong choice. Lastly, I will celebrate by spending time with friends and family.

To stay focused and on track I will adhere to a weekly review/study schedule. I will set small attainable goals for each day of each week varying on class, clinical days, and practice. By taking it one day at a time, this will help me to feel less overwhelmed and more able to properly manage my workload. I will also be utilizing academic resources such as tutoring services and attending group study sessions. I think that these strategies will help to bring me success in my academics and in my future.

I thought the nurse logic modules were helpful. Hearing about nursing concepts, clinical judgement, priority setting frameworks, and testing/studying strategies was a great reinforcer. I think it will be helpful to keep these concepts and ideas fresh in my mind during the semester. Being able to refer to these during clinical/simulations, while studying, and during class will be helpful to furthering my progress to becoming a nurse.

Category: Self-Care

Attaining and Protecting Your Professional Nursing License

Preparing for Transition