A day in the life of Nurse Ricky and how he maintains his wellbeing.
Ricky Holroyd is a highly experienced registered adult nurse specialising in brain injury rehabilitation. He knows first hand how important health is having overcome his own battle with cancer while studying for his nursing qualification.
I should start by saying one of the best things I did for my mental health was to reduce my working hours from full time (37.5) to 30.5 hours a week. This honestly made little difference money wise and gave me more free time to spend doing the things that make me happy or free to pick up a bank shift in another department if I wanted to. That freedom is important to me and has helped a lot. This has also enabled me to find some departments which I now bank at regularly and gives me variety away from my regular ward.
As a ward nurse that works a pattern of Day and Night shifts, my pre and post work shift activities do vary, but the theory is essentially the same but for the purpose of this article I will talk you through the process of me through a day shift which is 12.5 hours starts at 7:30am-8:00pm.
For me, the makings of a decent shift start the night before. Most importantly getting into bed around 9:30pm with plenty of bedside water. People really do underestimate the power of hydration. Reading is a great help to me and I enjoy it so much. It stops my mind from over thinking about what is going to happen on the upcoming shift., is a pleasant escapism (depending on the book) and it makes me sleepy. What more could you want?
The following day my alarm goes off at 6am. I try not to snooze my alarm, but I will depending on the type of sleep I have had. However, I will only snooze it once or twice as I like to get ready at a steady pace. This sets me up much better for the day. I will Have a glass of water or squash depending on my mood. My main goal at this point is to get as hydrated as possible, as all nurses will understand it can get extremely busy on the ward and it's not always easy to get a drink when you need one. I have to admit to not being a big fan of breakfast but I will try for a cereal bar or piece of fruit as I may not get my first break till at least lunch time. I then have my shower, get ready, pack my food and water for the day. I have one of those water bottles that tells you how much you should drink by a certain time of the day which I find quite satisfying and encouraging. Staying hydrated as much as possible is very important to me and really does keep my brain functioning well. I have to admit the food I pack is quite sad (pot noodle, crips and biscuits) . I know its not good but for me its quick, easy and satisfying which is what I need on the go and I make up for it when I am not working.
I like to get to work slightly early so I have ten mins to adjust to the work setting rather than rush straight into handover. The journey to work can be a little anxiety evoking and if this is the case, I will go over in my mind all the good things that have happened at work, the positive feedback I have had from patients, relatives and my peers. This helps put me back in a good positive place.
The next 12.5 hours go by in a bit of a blur. The main thing that helps get me through the day is having a plan for myself when I get home. Nothing major but a simple thing like planning a nice tea or take away and having a film or some episodes of a series really does help get me through the day. In my working life I have always made an effort to be friendly and get on with all members of the team and I will try to remain positive to help maintain a nice environment for everyone.
Once home it's time for me to switch off from work. I spent many hours as a newly qualified RN fretting that I had forgotten something, ringing the ward hours after my shift had ended and not being able to sleep through worrying. It is a very different story for me these days. If it has been a particularly bad shift I will ring my sister or colleague from another ward and we will talk it out and then I feel better and ready to enjoy the evening. How I spend the evening will very much depend on whether or not I am back at work the next day. Assuming I am not, I will go over the positives of the day and if I still can switch off I finally remind myself that I have done the best job I can and now can’t do anymore. At this point it is time for a bath with a glass of wine, then my dinner with my film or episodes so I can get lost in that and forget about the stresses of the day. Then its time for bed with my book but I will be honest and will probably only get through about two lines before I am asleep.