I use the same system for dealing with life stresses as I do to deal with nursing stress. And the other day I had a wonderful experience with my daughter.
She had a pretty difficult project to complete for physics class. So off we went to Michael's craft store on Wednesday night to buy the necessary supplies to create an "NRG car" for her class. It was really dark and rainy on Wednesday night and I have to admit I was exhausted by the time we got home from the store. But the work was just beginning.
We worked on the car until 11:30pm that night. After working with a faulty design for what seemed like forever, we finally had a breakthrough. We redesigned the car for the better...but time ran out...we had to go to bed.
The next day (Thursday) the pressure was on because it was our last day to work on the design. Friday morning was the deadline. She would have to demonstrate to the teacher that the car could move on 1 Joule of energy for a minimum of 16 feet (5 meters). After the breakthrough from the day before, she decided to completely start from scratch and do it right this time. All we salvaged from the previous car was the wheels. The rest was all new.
I'd like to share with you about my attitude during this project. It could have been bad. It could have been REAL BAD. I could have gotten very negative and resentful at the idea that we even had to do this project right before Christmas break. After all, aren't there enough things to worry about during this time of year? I could have "character assassinated" the teacher for being such a jerk for having assigned such a difficult project. But I didn't! Oh I had one or two tiny, itsy bitsy "slips" of negativity but that was all. I consciously decided to stay positive and to ask for the help I wanted and needed from the universe instead.
So before getting down to business on Thursday night to create an all new version of the physics car, I wrote some things down on my list:
*We have all the supplies we need for our NRG car.
*We have divine inspiration and creativity to create this car.
*We remain positive.
*We are grateful.
*We work together well.
*We are here to learn whatever lessons we need to learn during this project.
*We are easily successful at this project.
*We have fun during this project.
*We create the NRG car that is right for us.
*We feel protection and God's help along the way.
GUESS WHAT?! Long story...I won't go into all the wonderful details...but the result was success! Sweet success! Her car went well over 16 feet (it went 6.8 meters to be exact) and it was fun doing it. She got all the help she needed during the demonstration too (in fact 2 crucial things happened right before it was her turn)!
It was glorious! It was tremendous! It was a God centered project and it felt great!
I don't take credit for the system but I do take credit for my willingness to work it. If what you're doing in your life to combat stress isn't working, you may want to try something different.
God Bless,
Theresa
Showing posts with label abundance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label abundance. Show all posts
Monday, December 22, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Nursing Stress: Flush Out Exactly What You Want!
One of the most powerful tools I use to combat the stress of nursing or the stress of life is to write a letter to God. This is NOT a thank you letter to God. This is not a sweet letter stating how I know God is taking care of me. This is actually the opposite. This is questioning what the heck God is doing! This is hashing out the problem with God. This is an emotional plea about what to do next. And this is a very power tool!
The God letter is a very powerful tool because it leads me to flush out exactly what I need help with. Once I see the areas that I need help in, I can ask God to PROVIDE me with the help I need.
If I'm struggling with stress at work, I'll make requests such as:
I am peaceful at work.
I am calm at work.
I am focused at work.
I separate myself from stress at work.
I practice good self care at work.
I have all the resources I need to take care of my patients at work.
I leave work on time.
I have all the skills I need to take good care of my patients.
I have all the help I need at work to take care of my patient.
I have a highly qualified support team always available to help me take care of my patients.
I don't know about you but those are just some of the things that I worry about and that cause me stress in nursing. The thought of having to do it all alone is terrifying. The thought that I won't have enough help to take good care of my patients is frustrating. The thought that I may be able to "do it all" but it will cost me some overtime is infuriating. The thought that I get to go home (late) and wake up early and do it all over again is sometimes just too much to handle.
All those fearful thoughts can lead to depression and anxiety. It's living in the future and the future is not good. It's living in the future and I'm all alone. It's living in the future and there's just not enough of anything. Not a good thinking pattern to get into.
But when I take those specific fears and ask for God (or the universe, or Higher Power, or whoever) to provide for me, I instantly feel a sense of relief. That somehow, some way I'm NOT alone and that there is enough for me. And furthermore, figuring out how God is going to fix the problem or how he's going to provide what I'm asking for is NONE of my business. I don't have to know how he's gonna do it all. I just have to ask. Remembering to put my requests in the present tense (as if they have already happened) is key. It's a powerful form of prayer and it changes things.
In fact the situation may not change right away, but somehow, some way I change. I start relying on infinite God rather than my finite self. I'm not alone and I don't have to make everything happen on my own. I have a provider and a protector. It's all gonna be okay. The nursing stress eases up a little and that's the whole point.
Here's some examples of how God has provided for me recently:
**For months, my schedule requests have all been honored.
**The E.T. nurse showed up at just the right time to do a major dressing change for me.
**Some very difficult supplies (only used in the ICU) were made available to my VIP med/surg patient and brought to his bedside by the ICU nurse educator.
**I got a 4.7% pay raise (annual review).
**I had a bright student nurse intern for several weeks who lightened my workload.
**I haven't missed a break in months.
**Overtime, if any, is minimal (a few minutes, as opposed to hours).
**The pharmacy is my buddy. It recently took less than 3 minutes to receive the med I was requesting.
Are they all coincidences? I choose not to believe so AND my stress level has gone down incredibly because of my belief...and that's the whole point. The mere act of asking for help from an infinite source of supply has filled me with hope. And as far as I'm concerned, the internal and the external results speak for themselves.
Can you imagine if all nurses starting asking for help from their spiritual supplier? The patients would benefit. The nurses would benefit. Everybody wins!
I learned how to ask here.
God bless,
Theresa
The God letter is a very powerful tool because it leads me to flush out exactly what I need help with. Once I see the areas that I need help in, I can ask God to PROVIDE me with the help I need.
If I'm struggling with stress at work, I'll make requests such as:
I am peaceful at work.
I am calm at work.
I am focused at work.
I separate myself from stress at work.
I practice good self care at work.
I have all the resources I need to take care of my patients at work.
I leave work on time.
I have all the skills I need to take good care of my patients.
I have all the help I need at work to take care of my patient.
I have a highly qualified support team always available to help me take care of my patients.
I don't know about you but those are just some of the things that I worry about and that cause me stress in nursing. The thought of having to do it all alone is terrifying. The thought that I won't have enough help to take good care of my patients is frustrating. The thought that I may be able to "do it all" but it will cost me some overtime is infuriating. The thought that I get to go home (late) and wake up early and do it all over again is sometimes just too much to handle.
All those fearful thoughts can lead to depression and anxiety. It's living in the future and the future is not good. It's living in the future and I'm all alone. It's living in the future and there's just not enough of anything. Not a good thinking pattern to get into.
But when I take those specific fears and ask for God (or the universe, or Higher Power, or whoever) to provide for me, I instantly feel a sense of relief. That somehow, some way I'm NOT alone and that there is enough for me. And furthermore, figuring out how God is going to fix the problem or how he's going to provide what I'm asking for is NONE of my business. I don't have to know how he's gonna do it all. I just have to ask. Remembering to put my requests in the present tense (as if they have already happened) is key. It's a powerful form of prayer and it changes things.
In fact the situation may not change right away, but somehow, some way I change. I start relying on infinite God rather than my finite self. I'm not alone and I don't have to make everything happen on my own. I have a provider and a protector. It's all gonna be okay. The nursing stress eases up a little and that's the whole point.
Here's some examples of how God has provided for me recently:
**For months, my schedule requests have all been honored.
**The E.T. nurse showed up at just the right time to do a major dressing change for me.
**Some very difficult supplies (only used in the ICU) were made available to my VIP med/surg patient and brought to his bedside by the ICU nurse educator.
**I got a 4.7% pay raise (annual review).
**I had a bright student nurse intern for several weeks who lightened my workload.
**I haven't missed a break in months.
**Overtime, if any, is minimal (a few minutes, as opposed to hours).
**The pharmacy is my buddy. It recently took less than 3 minutes to receive the med I was requesting.
Are they all coincidences? I choose not to believe so AND my stress level has gone down incredibly because of my belief...and that's the whole point. The mere act of asking for help from an infinite source of supply has filled me with hope. And as far as I'm concerned, the internal and the external results speak for themselves.
Can you imagine if all nurses starting asking for help from their spiritual supplier? The patients would benefit. The nurses would benefit. Everybody wins!
I learned how to ask here.
God bless,
Theresa
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Nursing Stress: Use The Golden Key To Fight Negativity
One of the most important tools that I use to fight nursing stress and just regular "day-to-day stress" is called the Golden Key. I learned about it in a small 6-page booklet with a bright golden yellow cover written by Emmet Fox. Fox suggests that stopping a negative thinking pattern and switching to a positive (God centered) thinking pattern instead is the key to real serenity and peace.
Now, I firmly believe that although I may not be able to control the first thought that comes into my head, I CAN control my second thought and my third thought, and so on. In other words, I can control whether or not I keep thinking those negative thoughts or not.
And here's how I practice the Golden Key. When I find myself worrying about a subject (usually my kids, or the future, or a goal that I want to achieve but just seem to fall short of, or some other thing that I think I (alone) need to make happen), I stop myself. I then switch my thoughts to a phrase involving the power of my God. My favorite phrase at the moment is, "All things are possible with God." But you can think of any comforting, God-centered thought that you wish. Some other nice Golden Key thoughts might be, "God is with me" or "God is my source for ______" (just fill in the blank).
I say it over and over until I get some peace, some relief from the fear and anxiety that I'm experiencing. And that's the point! Instead of worrying in a fearful state about the welfare of my son (for example) the Golden Key allows me to interrupt that negative thought pattern and concentrate on a powerful God-centered positive thought instead. We all know that if you feed it it will grow, and if you don't feed it, it won't grow!
Me projecting fear onto my son's life cannot be a good thing. It can't be good for him and it can't be good for me. Me believing that all things are possible with God is my answer to this. It's simple, it's effective and it's completely free.
Whereas my negative fear-based thinking is a vicious cycle that benefits no one, my choice to stop feeding it absolutely benefits everyone. When I use the Golden Key, I stop for a moment and recognize that I have an all powerful source available to me and that all things are possible through this source. Within moments the negative cycle is broken and God's grace enters my mind. I am granted peace from the negativity. My bond with God (my source) is strengthened and I become hopeful once again.
And Hopeful energy is very powerful energy!
God bless,
Theresa
Now, I firmly believe that although I may not be able to control the first thought that comes into my head, I CAN control my second thought and my third thought, and so on. In other words, I can control whether or not I keep thinking those negative thoughts or not.
And here's how I practice the Golden Key. When I find myself worrying about a subject (usually my kids, or the future, or a goal that I want to achieve but just seem to fall short of, or some other thing that I think I (alone) need to make happen), I stop myself. I then switch my thoughts to a phrase involving the power of my God. My favorite phrase at the moment is, "All things are possible with God." But you can think of any comforting, God-centered thought that you wish. Some other nice Golden Key thoughts might be, "God is with me" or "God is my source for ______" (just fill in the blank).
I say it over and over until I get some peace, some relief from the fear and anxiety that I'm experiencing. And that's the point! Instead of worrying in a fearful state about the welfare of my son (for example) the Golden Key allows me to interrupt that negative thought pattern and concentrate on a powerful God-centered positive thought instead. We all know that if you feed it it will grow, and if you don't feed it, it won't grow!
Me projecting fear onto my son's life cannot be a good thing. It can't be good for him and it can't be good for me. Me believing that all things are possible with God is my answer to this. It's simple, it's effective and it's completely free.
Whereas my negative fear-based thinking is a vicious cycle that benefits no one, my choice to stop feeding it absolutely benefits everyone. When I use the Golden Key, I stop for a moment and recognize that I have an all powerful source available to me and that all things are possible through this source. Within moments the negative cycle is broken and God's grace enters my mind. I am granted peace from the negativity. My bond with God (my source) is strengthened and I become hopeful once again.
And Hopeful energy is very powerful energy!
God bless,
Theresa
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Beat Nursing Stress - Have A Party
I recently had a Christmas party at my house for my co-workers. It was lovely! Just what I asked for. Talk about a wonderful solution to beating nursing stress. What a treat to be able to relate with each other woman to woman and friend to friend.
It was so fun greeting people at the door, all of us dressed in cute NON-SCRUBS clothing. The attendance was over double of what we had last year. The music was wonderful, the food was great and the ornaments were sooooo cute. We had lots of laughs. My home felt warm and cozy.
I'm so blessed. I work with really hard working, conscientious, talented nurses. We are a good team and we're good nurses.
Some of the parameters that I've written for my job are: I build teamwork at work. I enjoy my co-workers. I am safe and protected at my work. I have all the help I need every day. I practice good self care during my work day. I am efficient. I am effective. I have a manageable pace to my workday. I have all the resources I need to take care of my patients safely. I am well respected by my co-workers. I am well respected by my patients. I leave work on time regularly.
Now, remember, these parameters don't have to be currently TRUE. They are my desires. This is how I want to live my life. And, furthermore, I don't have to look to history to dictate my future. In other words, just because life happened a certain way in the past, doesn't mean it has to be my only option for the future. This process is about starting fresh and new possibilities. As I become clearer and clearer about the life that I desire, so does my focus.
By the way, over the last month I've had the most incredible workdays. I've caught myself more than once looking over med sheets again in the afternoon just to see if I missed something because things have gone sooooooo smoothly. Talk about a manageable pace and not missing breaks. It's been Fantastic!
I have to admit that in the past, I spent a lot of time wracking my brain as to WHY my work was so grueling and difficult. Not the best focus to work with. I spent a lot of time feeling frustrated and looking outside myself for the answer to my work difficulties. But what I've found is that the answer is inside me. If you don't feed it, it won't grow. And if you do feed it (give life to your desires), it will grow. I hold the key.
Can you imagine the power of this concept. If all nurses took the time to write positive parameters for their lives, I believe that the quality of patient care would really, really rise. Perhaps we'd attract more support and resources into the hospitals. Patient safety would be at an all time high. It's a win-win proposition people!
Nurses, learn more about attracting what you want into your life. There are some really, really effective yet simple tools available to everyone. Take a peek.
God bless,
Theresa
It was so fun greeting people at the door, all of us dressed in cute NON-SCRUBS clothing. The attendance was over double of what we had last year. The music was wonderful, the food was great and the ornaments were sooooo cute. We had lots of laughs. My home felt warm and cozy.
I'm so blessed. I work with really hard working, conscientious, talented nurses. We are a good team and we're good nurses.
Some of the parameters that I've written for my job are: I build teamwork at work. I enjoy my co-workers. I am safe and protected at my work. I have all the help I need every day. I practice good self care during my work day. I am efficient. I am effective. I have a manageable pace to my workday. I have all the resources I need to take care of my patients safely. I am well respected by my co-workers. I am well respected by my patients. I leave work on time regularly.
Now, remember, these parameters don't have to be currently TRUE. They are my desires. This is how I want to live my life. And, furthermore, I don't have to look to history to dictate my future. In other words, just because life happened a certain way in the past, doesn't mean it has to be my only option for the future. This process is about starting fresh and new possibilities. As I become clearer and clearer about the life that I desire, so does my focus.
By the way, over the last month I've had the most incredible workdays. I've caught myself more than once looking over med sheets again in the afternoon just to see if I missed something because things have gone sooooooo smoothly. Talk about a manageable pace and not missing breaks. It's been Fantastic!
I have to admit that in the past, I spent a lot of time wracking my brain as to WHY my work was so grueling and difficult. Not the best focus to work with. I spent a lot of time feeling frustrated and looking outside myself for the answer to my work difficulties. But what I've found is that the answer is inside me. If you don't feed it, it won't grow. And if you do feed it (give life to your desires), it will grow. I hold the key.
Can you imagine the power of this concept. If all nurses took the time to write positive parameters for their lives, I believe that the quality of patient care would really, really rise. Perhaps we'd attract more support and resources into the hospitals. Patient safety would be at an all time high. It's a win-win proposition people!
Nurses, learn more about attracting what you want into your life. There are some really, really effective yet simple tools available to everyone. Take a peek.
God bless,
Theresa
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Sooth Nursing Stress - Ask! There Are Only 3 Possible Replies
One of the ways I lower the stress levels of my every day life as well as the nursing stress that I feel at work is to ask for what I want. I put my desires, wants and needs down on paper in a present tense statement. I think of it as a form of prayer...A prayer to my God, my Creator, my Higher Power. The name of the Source is not important, just as long as you ask!
Now I'm not doing this for God's benefit. It could probably be argued that God already knows everything. Therefore, he already knows my heart's desires. So I'm not writing my desires down to "enlighten" God. I'm writing them down to give them life. I'm writing them down to infuse them with energy. I'm writing them down to take them from a "wish" state to an actual parameter of my life.
And God always answers my prayers in 3 ways:
1. "Yes."
2. "Not yet."
3. "I have something better in mind."
In the past, my biggest problem was #2..."Not yet". I'm like everyone else. I want what I want when I want it. So the idea of God saying "Not yet" to me is a little hard to swallow. Besides if I think that my God is playing tricks on me and withholding things from me to "teach me a lesson" then I don't want to trust him.
But I don't believe my God plays tricks on me. My God is perfect love. So I choose to believe that when God says "Not yet" to me it is out of perfect love and infinite wisdom. Because it's actually not God saying "Not yet" to me , but instead it is me saying it to myself. There must be some kind of emotional, spiritual or physical work that I still need to do to make myself ready to receive.
Making myself ready to receive is different from being deserving. I believe we are all born deserving of God's bounty. Making myself ready to receive is also different from having to earn God's bounty. I don't have to earn it. It's my birthright. It's your birthright too. We just have to allow it.
So I've come to believe that it is me who is saying "Not yet" to myself. I remind myself that God's not a puppet master. I have free will and choices. If I'm asking for a certain thing but continuing to do old behavior that actually blocks the object of my desire from me, then I'm the one withholding it from myself. Maybe I have some growing up to do in a certain area. Maybe I have some maturing to do. Maybe I have more practice to do in a certain area of my life. Maybe I have an amends to make. Maybe I'm holding on too tightly. Maybe I'm not having fun regularly enough. Maybe I'm having too much fun. Maybe I thought about asking but didn't really take the time to actually write it down on paper...Hmmm
Because ultimately it is me that allows God's abundance into my life. And when it all comes together it is truly, truly glorious! He's the source. I hold the key of willingness.
Take care,
Theresa
Now I'm not doing this for God's benefit. It could probably be argued that God already knows everything. Therefore, he already knows my heart's desires. So I'm not writing my desires down to "enlighten" God. I'm writing them down to give them life. I'm writing them down to infuse them with energy. I'm writing them down to take them from a "wish" state to an actual parameter of my life.
And God always answers my prayers in 3 ways:
1. "Yes."
2. "Not yet."
3. "I have something better in mind."
In the past, my biggest problem was #2..."Not yet". I'm like everyone else. I want what I want when I want it. So the idea of God saying "Not yet" to me is a little hard to swallow. Besides if I think that my God is playing tricks on me and withholding things from me to "teach me a lesson" then I don't want to trust him.
But I don't believe my God plays tricks on me. My God is perfect love. So I choose to believe that when God says "Not yet" to me it is out of perfect love and infinite wisdom. Because it's actually not God saying "Not yet" to me , but instead it is me saying it to myself. There must be some kind of emotional, spiritual or physical work that I still need to do to make myself ready to receive.
Making myself ready to receive is different from being deserving. I believe we are all born deserving of God's bounty. Making myself ready to receive is also different from having to earn God's bounty. I don't have to earn it. It's my birthright. It's your birthright too. We just have to allow it.
So I've come to believe that it is me who is saying "Not yet" to myself. I remind myself that God's not a puppet master. I have free will and choices. If I'm asking for a certain thing but continuing to do old behavior that actually blocks the object of my desire from me, then I'm the one withholding it from myself. Maybe I have some growing up to do in a certain area. Maybe I have some maturing to do. Maybe I have more practice to do in a certain area of my life. Maybe I have an amends to make. Maybe I'm holding on too tightly. Maybe I'm not having fun regularly enough. Maybe I'm having too much fun. Maybe I thought about asking but didn't really take the time to actually write it down on paper...Hmmm
Because ultimately it is me that allows God's abundance into my life. And when it all comes together it is truly, truly glorious! He's the source. I hold the key of willingness.
Take care,
Theresa
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Nursing Stress? - I Prefer Plan B Please
I go to God with all the desires of my heart including answers to my nursing stress. Although I suppose it could be argued that God already knows every desire of my heart. But that's not the point. The real reason I do this is so that I become aware of my every desire.
It's important to be clear about what you want. If you're not clear about how you want your life to look like, that's what you'll get...an unclear, willy-nilly life that someone else (your job, your family, society) is defining for you. Yes, God already knows my every desire. But until I write it down (pen to paper) I'm not always aware. And mark my words, asking God for my heart's desires via PEN TO PAPER is very, very powerful. Remember: Seek and yee shall find. Seeking is asking.
Now, do I pout if I don't get that brand new perfect home filing system the very next day after asking for it? Or do I pout if the relationship with my anxiety-ridden mother doesn't improve over night? Or what if the new wardrobe I asked for seems to allude me for a while? Do I worry and fret over it? No.
Because I am in 100% acceptance of God's wisdom and generosity and timing. His Plan B or his "longer than I expected" version of my Plan A is always, always okay with me. In fact, I trust God's Plan B for me over my own Plan A. Ultimately, I guess you could say that I trust infinite God rather than my finite self. It's called faith. It's acquired by including God in everything you do. Asking him to fulfill your heart's desires (small and big) is the best way to build a strong relationship with him. And, by the way, that's the best gift I can ever pass on to another human being...the certainty that my God loves me and wants me happy.
A couple months ago, I wrote down that my husband gives me gifts at the most unexpected times. He's always been a wonderful partner but since then he's been even more so. The other morning, he made me a killer breakfast burrito AND paid to have new gears put on my bike (loaded and unloaded my bike into the car), along with being Mr. Fix-it around the house. I won't even mention the wonderful massage he gave me. Lovely. :)
Less than a month ago, I wrote down that I get out on time and that I'm always able to complete my charting on time just to name a few items. (there were more!) The next week, I went into work and a new feature had been added to our charting system. An "Auto Enter" button had been added. In other words, if data is exactly the same (and in many cases it is from one shift to another), we can now hit the auto enter button to copy it over. No more individual clicking in certain areas! Quicker charting means better chance of getting out on time. Hooray! An answer to my nursing stress...coincidence? I think not!
These are just a few examples. I've got more. I ask. Learn to ask too.
Take good care,
Theresa
P.S. Now that I think of it, I did get a wonderful filing system and 2 free hours of help setting it up; I recently had fun picking out three really cute tops at a great discount; and I've gotten a lot of insight into my mom lately...no need to pout.
It's important to be clear about what you want. If you're not clear about how you want your life to look like, that's what you'll get...an unclear, willy-nilly life that someone else (your job, your family, society) is defining for you. Yes, God already knows my every desire. But until I write it down (pen to paper) I'm not always aware. And mark my words, asking God for my heart's desires via PEN TO PAPER is very, very powerful. Remember: Seek and yee shall find. Seeking is asking.
Now, do I pout if I don't get that brand new perfect home filing system the very next day after asking for it? Or do I pout if the relationship with my anxiety-ridden mother doesn't improve over night? Or what if the new wardrobe I asked for seems to allude me for a while? Do I worry and fret over it? No.
Because I am in 100% acceptance of God's wisdom and generosity and timing. His Plan B or his "longer than I expected" version of my Plan A is always, always okay with me. In fact, I trust God's Plan B for me over my own Plan A. Ultimately, I guess you could say that I trust infinite God rather than my finite self. It's called faith. It's acquired by including God in everything you do. Asking him to fulfill your heart's desires (small and big) is the best way to build a strong relationship with him. And, by the way, that's the best gift I can ever pass on to another human being...the certainty that my God loves me and wants me happy.
A couple months ago, I wrote down that my husband gives me gifts at the most unexpected times. He's always been a wonderful partner but since then he's been even more so. The other morning, he made me a killer breakfast burrito AND paid to have new gears put on my bike (loaded and unloaded my bike into the car), along with being Mr. Fix-it around the house. I won't even mention the wonderful massage he gave me. Lovely. :)
Less than a month ago, I wrote down that I get out on time and that I'm always able to complete my charting on time just to name a few items. (there were more!) The next week, I went into work and a new feature had been added to our charting system. An "Auto Enter" button had been added. In other words, if data is exactly the same (and in many cases it is from one shift to another), we can now hit the auto enter button to copy it over. No more individual clicking in certain areas! Quicker charting means better chance of getting out on time. Hooray! An answer to my nursing stress...coincidence? I think not!
These are just a few examples. I've got more. I ask. Learn to ask too.
Take good care,
Theresa
P.S. Now that I think of it, I did get a wonderful filing system and 2 free hours of help setting it up; I recently had fun picking out three really cute tops at a great discount; and I've gotten a lot of insight into my mom lately...no need to pout.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Nursing Stress - Her Lesson And My Lesson
Nursing stress can add up quickly. Between the cell phone and the pager, the demands seem to come all at once at times. And sometimes just projecting on the fact that I know I'm going to be "pulled in multiple directions at once" can bring the most nursing stress of all. However, my patient taught me a lesson the other day...and I'd like to think that I did the same for her.
My day started off like any other day. Unpredictable. No sooner did I get my pager and my phone handed to me then off it went with a message stating "room #-- wants to discharge." I dropped what I was doing and went straight to my patient's room to give her a time frame for her discharge. On my way, I stopped my nurse assistant to see what the patient's morning vitals were. "Hmmm, heart rate is 130, but no fever? All other vitals within normal limits. Interesting," I thought.
She was anxious, speaking very quickly and had a very concerned look on her face. "Am I going to discharge? Can I have a pain pill? What's the plan?" she blurted out as soon as I introduced myself. I explained that I would discharge her a.s.a.p. and I brought her a pain pill. After all, according to her chart, the doctor had discharged her two days previous. Each day, however, the discharge got cancelled due to various reasons.
Ten minutes later, I get another page for the same patient. This page says, "room #-- throwing up." I drew up an IV anti-anxiety med. (with anti-emetic properties) and an IV antacid med. When I returned to her room, she had just thrown up about 300 ml's of green liquid and was sitting on the toilet with the trashcan between her knees. I soon learned that I could definitely rule out bowel obstruction.
She was a mess. She just kept repeating over and over, "How can I go home if I'm throwing up? I want to go home, but I'm afraid." I told her that I had brought the medication but that I wanted to talk to her about something. I wanted to talk to her about her anxiety.
I told her that I knew about anxiety from first-hand experience and I've had to learn to cope with anxiety in healthy ways. I told her that she needed to learn to recognize whenever she felt herself "working herself into a lather" and getting anxious (HR raising). I explained that it appeared that she had just had an anxiety attack. Anxiety starts in the mind. In this case, her body had joined her mind in "living in the future". I told her that the bottom line was that whenever a person is experiencing anxiety, they are living a month from now, a year from now, a day from now, etc. They are mentally living in the future and projecting the worst.
It was as if I turned on a light. She began quickly speaking about how anxious she was about going home and what the future held (chemo). She had never had to deal with this type of thing before. Basically, she spilled her guts and cried with relief as she acknowledged her anxious state. Her husband also readily admitted to having depression and anxiety issues.
We talked about how acknowledging her anxiety could be a tremendous gift. She was going to get to learn other ways of coping. They both were. We talked about how she and her husband could embrace the journey into healthy coping techniques or they could continue to fight it. They both acknowledged what I was saying as being true for them and vowed to learn better coping.
The rest of the day got progressively better. By the end of the shift, she had kept down two small meals (lunch and dinner) and hadn't thrown up again. She even waved to me in the hallway as her and her husband walked by.
Her lesson: Anxiety is living in the future, projecting the worst. Living in tomorrow and being sure that tomorrow is going to be horrible.
My lesson: Once again, the power of the present moment is everything. I choose to believe that my God exists in the now, the present moment. He's not off in the future somewhere. He's right in the now with me. The future hasn't happened yet. And I'm not a puppet being controlled by God. He gave me free will. I get choices. No matter what I choose, he knows how to help me through it and support me. That's his job. He does all the heavy lifting. In fact, he wants me to get in touch with my heart's desires so that I can experience true joy and happiness in this life. It's my job to ask my Creator to fulfill my heart's desires...yes, it's my job to do that...because that's how I can build my faith and trust in him. That's how I can experience his love for me.
Projecting into the future about nursing stress is a surefire way to bring more of it into your life. On the other hand, living in the now, asking for what you want and appreciating what you already have is part of a powerful solution.
If you'd like to know more about living in the now, staying ahead of nursing stress, and how to ask for your heart's desires, visit this link. Read the e-book, "I'm Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams. I am. I am. I am." The book contains a straight forward system for asking and receiving. Plus, you may learn some new reasons that confirm why it's so important to live positively in the now.
Take good care,
Theresa
My day started off like any other day. Unpredictable. No sooner did I get my pager and my phone handed to me then off it went with a message stating "room #-- wants to discharge." I dropped what I was doing and went straight to my patient's room to give her a time frame for her discharge. On my way, I stopped my nurse assistant to see what the patient's morning vitals were. "Hmmm, heart rate is 130, but no fever? All other vitals within normal limits. Interesting," I thought.
She was anxious, speaking very quickly and had a very concerned look on her face. "Am I going to discharge? Can I have a pain pill? What's the plan?" she blurted out as soon as I introduced myself. I explained that I would discharge her a.s.a.p. and I brought her a pain pill. After all, according to her chart, the doctor had discharged her two days previous. Each day, however, the discharge got cancelled due to various reasons.
Ten minutes later, I get another page for the same patient. This page says, "room #-- throwing up." I drew up an IV anti-anxiety med. (with anti-emetic properties) and an IV antacid med. When I returned to her room, she had just thrown up about 300 ml's of green liquid and was sitting on the toilet with the trashcan between her knees. I soon learned that I could definitely rule out bowel obstruction.
She was a mess. She just kept repeating over and over, "How can I go home if I'm throwing up? I want to go home, but I'm afraid." I told her that I had brought the medication but that I wanted to talk to her about something. I wanted to talk to her about her anxiety.
I told her that I knew about anxiety from first-hand experience and I've had to learn to cope with anxiety in healthy ways. I told her that she needed to learn to recognize whenever she felt herself "working herself into a lather" and getting anxious (HR raising). I explained that it appeared that she had just had an anxiety attack. Anxiety starts in the mind. In this case, her body had joined her mind in "living in the future". I told her that the bottom line was that whenever a person is experiencing anxiety, they are living a month from now, a year from now, a day from now, etc. They are mentally living in the future and projecting the worst.
It was as if I turned on a light. She began quickly speaking about how anxious she was about going home and what the future held (chemo). She had never had to deal with this type of thing before. Basically, she spilled her guts and cried with relief as she acknowledged her anxious state. Her husband also readily admitted to having depression and anxiety issues.
We talked about how acknowledging her anxiety could be a tremendous gift. She was going to get to learn other ways of coping. They both were. We talked about how she and her husband could embrace the journey into healthy coping techniques or they could continue to fight it. They both acknowledged what I was saying as being true for them and vowed to learn better coping.
The rest of the day got progressively better. By the end of the shift, she had kept down two small meals (lunch and dinner) and hadn't thrown up again. She even waved to me in the hallway as her and her husband walked by.
Her lesson: Anxiety is living in the future, projecting the worst. Living in tomorrow and being sure that tomorrow is going to be horrible.
My lesson: Once again, the power of the present moment is everything. I choose to believe that my God exists in the now, the present moment. He's not off in the future somewhere. He's right in the now with me. The future hasn't happened yet. And I'm not a puppet being controlled by God. He gave me free will. I get choices. No matter what I choose, he knows how to help me through it and support me. That's his job. He does all the heavy lifting. In fact, he wants me to get in touch with my heart's desires so that I can experience true joy and happiness in this life. It's my job to ask my Creator to fulfill my heart's desires...yes, it's my job to do that...because that's how I can build my faith and trust in him. That's how I can experience his love for me.
Projecting into the future about nursing stress is a surefire way to bring more of it into your life. On the other hand, living in the now, asking for what you want and appreciating what you already have is part of a powerful solution.
If you'd like to know more about living in the now, staying ahead of nursing stress, and how to ask for your heart's desires, visit this link. Read the e-book, "I'm Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams. I am. I am. I am." The book contains a straight forward system for asking and receiving. Plus, you may learn some new reasons that confirm why it's so important to live positively in the now.
Take good care,
Theresa
Monday, November 24, 2008
Nursing Stress - Unintentional Human Error
Wow yesterday was a good day at work - free of the nursing stress that I heard the other nurses complaining about. The pace, the patients, the amount of help I had...everything was great. And it's exactly what I've been asking the universe for. I'm actually in shock. I can't believe it.
And I don't have to believe it. That's the cool part. All I have to do is get clear about what I want my life to look like and then be willing to put pen to paper and ask for it.
Now, as I said, it was a fantastic day at work yesterday...Right up until the end of the shift. The pharmacy lost the TPN they had prepared for my patient. So their solution to that problem was to send an actual pharmacist to come to our floor and physically look in my patients' rooms to see what was hanging on their IV poles??? Wow! I took that so personally. I was highly offended that they were insisting that somehow I had hung it and didn't remember or that I had hung it incorrectly or whatever??? My pride was hurt. My ego was hurt. I felt my reputation was being challenged. I was pissed off.
My actions and words were gracious though. I conducted myself with respect and that's the most important thing. However, after the pharmacist left, it hit me. I began bubbling inside. PISSED OFF! They were accusing me of negligence in some form and I was irate. However, something new and interesting happened as well. I became aware of the destructive power of the negative energy that I was bathing myself in and I made a conscious decision. I simply got out of the bath. I admitted my feelings to myself and a couple nearby co-workers and then I dropped it. Patient safety is first. This was not a personal vendetta against me. I'd like to think they would have done the same with any nurse in this scenario. Done. A check and balance system at work. Not personal. I'm a grown woman, not a little girl. My internal serenity is worth more to me than "justifying my resentment" towards our top notch pharmacy.
A short while later, a pharmacy runner came with the bag of TPN. He had put it on a different floor, different building! Ooooooops! Unintentional human error. Forgiven. Done.
To me, the ability to drop a resentment, to get perspective, to be a grown up, to not bath myself in negative emotions...that's how it feels in the life of MY dreams. That's how it feels.
Moral of the story? If we feed "it", it will grow. If we don't feed "it", it won't grow. So important. The importance of that moral is taking on a whole new meaning in my life nowadays and I'm reaping the rewards big time. The solutions to my nursing stress are inside of me, not outside.
I'm learning about abundance with a little help from: this link
Take care,
Theresa
And I don't have to believe it. That's the cool part. All I have to do is get clear about what I want my life to look like and then be willing to put pen to paper and ask for it.
Now, as I said, it was a fantastic day at work yesterday...Right up until the end of the shift. The pharmacy lost the TPN they had prepared for my patient. So their solution to that problem was to send an actual pharmacist to come to our floor and physically look in my patients' rooms to see what was hanging on their IV poles??? Wow! I took that so personally. I was highly offended that they were insisting that somehow I had hung it and didn't remember or that I had hung it incorrectly or whatever??? My pride was hurt. My ego was hurt. I felt my reputation was being challenged. I was pissed off.
My actions and words were gracious though. I conducted myself with respect and that's the most important thing. However, after the pharmacist left, it hit me. I began bubbling inside. PISSED OFF! They were accusing me of negligence in some form and I was irate. However, something new and interesting happened as well. I became aware of the destructive power of the negative energy that I was bathing myself in and I made a conscious decision. I simply got out of the bath. I admitted my feelings to myself and a couple nearby co-workers and then I dropped it. Patient safety is first. This was not a personal vendetta against me. I'd like to think they would have done the same with any nurse in this scenario. Done. A check and balance system at work. Not personal. I'm a grown woman, not a little girl. My internal serenity is worth more to me than "justifying my resentment" towards our top notch pharmacy.
A short while later, a pharmacy runner came with the bag of TPN. He had put it on a different floor, different building! Ooooooops! Unintentional human error. Forgiven. Done.
To me, the ability to drop a resentment, to get perspective, to be a grown up, to not bath myself in negative emotions...that's how it feels in the life of MY dreams. That's how it feels.
Moral of the story? If we feed "it", it will grow. If we don't feed "it", it won't grow. So important. The importance of that moral is taking on a whole new meaning in my life nowadays and I'm reaping the rewards big time. The solutions to my nursing stress are inside of me, not outside.
I'm learning about abundance with a little help from: this link
Take care,
Theresa
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Nursing Stress - Moving Past My Filter Into Abundance
Intellectually, I know there are MORE than two types of people in the world...but there are times when it sure does seem like the world is divided into just two groups. The two groups are the talkers and the listeners.
I've always fallen into the listener category myself. It's not that I can't talk or anything, it's just that I tend to be a, well, a listener...at least in a large group of people that is. :)
Now, I've given this topic a lot of thought --- surprise, surprise --- and I've gotten some insight recently on it. I realize that being a listener has two sides. In other words, listening is a gift! It's a wonderful quality to possess. It's a blessing. Except when it feels like it is squelching you and suppressing your growth. In that case, something has to change.
Recently someone was describing themselves by saying, "I'm such a big mouth. I just don't have a filter when it comes to speaking my mind. I always seem to talk too much." This struck me hard. And I realized that I am just the opposite.
What I realized is this. Part of my default mode is to have TOO MUCH filter. I shut myself down before I ever get started. I press my "mute" button. I second guess myself. I get confused. I get scattered and I lose my concentration. And then I get intimidated. And It's not because someone else is being too vocal. It's because I stubbornly filter myself and back down from participating in the discussion.
A very dear friend of mine has an expression. She can also relate to the "filter" dilemma from first hand experience. As she says, "I won't say shit if I have a mouthful." (pardon the expression) Not a good place to be, believe me.
Well, I know for a fact that I have the power within me to create the life of my dreams. And that goes for my internal (emotional) life as well as my external (abundant) life. In fact, I've believed that for a long time...I just didn't exactly know how to go about doing it. But now I do. There are zillions of tools available for anyone who wants to create a rich life. Click on this link and start by reading the book, "I'm Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams. I am, I am, I am." It will change your life! It is mine!
Take good care,
Theresa
I've always fallen into the listener category myself. It's not that I can't talk or anything, it's just that I tend to be a, well, a listener...at least in a large group of people that is. :)
Now, I've given this topic a lot of thought --- surprise, surprise --- and I've gotten some insight recently on it. I realize that being a listener has two sides. In other words, listening is a gift! It's a wonderful quality to possess. It's a blessing. Except when it feels like it is squelching you and suppressing your growth. In that case, something has to change.
Recently someone was describing themselves by saying, "I'm such a big mouth. I just don't have a filter when it comes to speaking my mind. I always seem to talk too much." This struck me hard. And I realized that I am just the opposite.
What I realized is this. Part of my default mode is to have TOO MUCH filter. I shut myself down before I ever get started. I press my "mute" button. I second guess myself. I get confused. I get scattered and I lose my concentration. And then I get intimidated. And It's not because someone else is being too vocal. It's because I stubbornly filter myself and back down from participating in the discussion.
A very dear friend of mine has an expression. She can also relate to the "filter" dilemma from first hand experience. As she says, "I won't say shit if I have a mouthful." (pardon the expression) Not a good place to be, believe me.
Well, I know for a fact that I have the power within me to create the life of my dreams. And that goes for my internal (emotional) life as well as my external (abundant) life. In fact, I've believed that for a long time...I just didn't exactly know how to go about doing it. But now I do. There are zillions of tools available for anyone who wants to create a rich life. Click on this link and start by reading the book, "I'm Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams. I am, I am, I am." It will change your life! It is mine!
Take good care,
Theresa
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