Stressed Nurse v. the World

As you all probably know I'm a second year nursing student and currently on my fourth placement. In the last 4 weeks I've worked on two junior doctor strike days; one was a full walkout including emergency care, and one was a 'half strike' (emergency care unaffected). I think the easiest way to sum up how the strikes affected patient care - they didn't. Patients were still seen by a doctor in the ward round, there were still emergency admissions and emergency surgery. There were even some routine operations! Shock horror - the NHS didn't fall apart. When the junior doctors walk out, all of the consultants come into work, as oppose to just one or two on a normal day. All of the nurse specialists come into work, as oppose to just one or two. And in my current hospital we have military doctors step in to help. It is effectively all hands on deck to maintain patient care. This can be done for a couple of days here and then to cover the strikes, but it stretches st...

Do you feel irritable, aggressive, or tired all the time? Unable to enjoy yourself because of pressure in your life? Anxious, over-burdened and uninterested? These are all common symptoms of stress. Research has shown that around 12 million adults in the UK see their GP with mental health problems each year. Most of these suffer from anxiety and depression, and much of this is stress-related. 13.3 million working days are lost per year due to stress, depression and anxiety. So, why when 1 in 5 of us will be affected by mental health are we suffering in silence? Common signs of stress  - The initial signs of stress are physical ones; commonly tiredness, headaches or an upset stomach. When stressed our bodies are in 'fight or flight' mode. This means we release a large amount of hormones, mainly cortisol and adrenaline, causing heart rate and blood pressure to rise. As a result we feel generally unwell and in the long term it has a negative effect on our physical health. ...

As a student nurse on placement currently I'm spending most of my money on travel expenses so have little money left over for food and other expenses. Whilst I will get my travel cost reimbursed the upfront cost is putting unimaginable strain on my bank balance. When money is stretched I firstly, stop going out that often as it costs a lot of money. Secondly, I look at my food shop and try to cut the cost. Where you shop plays a big part in the cost of your food. Now we all think supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl are cheapest, with Tesco, Morrisons and ASDA taking middle ground and Sainsburys and then Waitrose at the top. I am a Sainsburys shopper, I prefer their store layout, I like the range of food and I find the price about right for the quality you get; plus the nectar card offers are great for me. I know quite a few people who buy pre-prepared food, eg, the packs of pre-cut veg for roasting or cooking with. I always think these must cost so much more than buying the fres...

My fourth placement started last week, and with it life has become hectic. It has only been one week but I'm hating the daily commute to Portsmouth and the 6am start. Placement does give me a routine though, I plan my days off so I don't waste time and I put more effort into making healthier meals. Which is useful after two weeks lazy chocolate eating over Easter! One of my favourite meals is from Joe Wicks'; The Body Coach's 'Lean in 15' cookbook. It goes alongside a weight loss programme, but I'm not following it. I just enjoy the meals because they are quick, healthy and very tasty! The lentil burger is easy to make, uses ingredients most people have in their cupboards anyway, and I cook 4 in one go and freeze them. The portions seem big but, because it's packed with slow release lentils it fills me up for the whole day, which is great when I'm on the wards. I tend to make just the 'patty' and not the rest of the burger, I've ne...