🌱 Chères Futures infirmières et infirmiers,

Les examens finaux approchent à grands pas et nous savons que la pression est forte ! Entre les stages cliniques, l’étude des médicaments et de leur utilisation, et les travaux de laboratoire, la situation peut être accablante. Cependant, il est tout aussi important de prendre soin de soi que de réussir ses examens. Voici comment vous pouvez vous préparer efficacement aux examens finaux tout en préservant votre bien-être.

1. Planifiez judicieusement votre emploi du temps

La gestion du temps est essentielle ! L’élaboration d’un plan d’étude structuré vous aidera à maximiser votre efficacité et à réduire votre stress.

• Décomposez : Divisez votre matériel d’étude en sections plus petites et plus faciles à gérer plutôt que d’essayer de tout faire en même temps.

• Utilisez des techniques de blocage du temps : Fixez des périodes d’étude dédiées avec des sujets spécifiques sur lesquels vous devez vous concentrer.

• Utilisez des planificateurs ou des applications : Les outils numériques tels que Notion, Google Calendar ou les agendas papier peuvent vous aider à suivre vos progrès et à respecter votre emploi du temps.

• Prévoyez des pauses : Évitez l’épuisement en vous accordant du temps pour vous ressourcer ; de courtes pauses peuvent améliorer la concentration et la mémorisation.

2. Pratiquer l’apprentissage actif

Au lieu de lire passivement des notes, engagez-vous dans la matière de manière à améliorer la rétention et la compréhension.

• Utilisez des flashcards : Des applications comme Anki ou Quizlet aident à renforcer les concepts clés.

• Entraînez-vous avec des scénarios du monde réel : Appliquer les connaissances théoriques à des cas cliniques pour améliorer la pensée critique.

• Enseigner à quelqu’un d’autre : Expliquer des concepts à un pair ou même à vous-même à haute voix renforce votre compréhension.

• Formez des groupes d’étude : Discuter de la matière avec des camarades de classe peut aider à clarifier les sujets difficiles et à vous responsabiliser.

3. Ne pas sacrifier le sommeil

Passer une nuit blanche peut sembler une bonne idée, mais le manque de sommeil a un impact négatif sur les fonctions cognitives et la rétention de la mémoire.

• Accordez la priorité à 6 à 8 heures de sommeil par nuit pour permettre à votre cerveau de consolider les informations.

• Créez une routine nocturne pour vous aider à vous détendre et signaler à votre corps qu’il est temps de se reposer

• Évitez les écrans avant de vous coucher : L’exposition à la lumière bleue peut interférer avec la production de mélatonine et perturber la qualité du sommeil.

4. Nourrissez votre corps

Ce que vous mangez a un impact direct sur votre niveau d’énergie et votre capacité de concentration.

• Incorporer des aliments qui stimulent le cerveau comme les légumes verts feuillus, les noix, le poisson et les céréales complètes.

• Restez hydraté : La déshydratation peut entraîner de la fatigue et des maux de tête ; gardez donc une bouteille d’eau à portée de main.

• Limitez l’excès de caféine : Si le café peut être utile, une consommation excessive peut entraîner des baisses d’énergie et une augmentation de l’anxiété.

• Prévoyez des en-cas sains : Gardez à portée de main des options nutritives telles que des yaourts, des fruits ou des barres protéinées pour éviter les fringales.

5. Faites des pauses et bougez votre corps

Rester assis pendant de longues heures peut entraîner un épuisement mental et physique.

• Essayez la technique Pomodoro : Étudiez pendant 25 minutes, puis faites une pause de 5 minutes pour rester frais.

• Faites une promenade : Une petite promenade à l’extérieur peut stimuler la créativité et les niveaux d’énergie.

• Faites des étirements ou des exercices légers : Le yoga, la respiration profonde ou même un étirement rapide peuvent aider à soulager les tensions.

• Écouter de la musique ou un podcast : S’adonner à une activité différente pendant les pauses peut permettre à votre cerveau de se réinitialiser.

6. Gérer le stress en prenant soin de soi

Votre santé mentale est tout aussi importante que vos résultats scolaires.

• Pratiquez la peine conscience: La respiration profonde, la méditation ou la relaxation musculaire progressive peuvent atténuer le stress.

• Tenez un journal : Écrire ses pensées et ses sentiments peut apporter de la clarté et un soulagement émotionnel.

• S’adonner à des passe-temps : Prendre le temps de faire quelque chose que l’on aime peut être un excellent moyen de soulager le stress.

• Rire et s’amuser : Regarder une vidéo drôle ou discuter avec des amis peut améliorer votre humeur.

7. Demander de l’aide

Personne ne réussit seul. N’hésitez pas à demander de l’aide si nécessaire.

• Parlez-en à vos professeurs ou à vos mentors : Ils peuvent fournir des conseils et des éclaircissements sur des sujets difficiles.

• Utilisez les services de tutorat : De nombreuses écoles offrent des ressources gratuites pour soutenir les étudiants sur le plan académique.

• Entrez en contact avec des pairs : Parfois, le simple fait de parler avec quelqu’un qui vit la même chose peut apporter du réconfort.

• Consulter un psychologue si nécessaire : Si le stress devient insurmontable, les professionnels de la santé mentale peuvent proposer des stratégies d’adaptation.

🌳 Activité de club!

Rejoignez-nous pour une collaboration passionnante avec le Club de cuisine !

Nous sommes ravis de nous associer au Club de cuisine pour vous proposer des événements amusants et relaxants qui vous aideront à déstresser et à nouer des liens avec d’autres étudiantes en soins infirmiers !

Les événements à venir sont les suivants :

• Le repas-partaget: Partagez et savourez une variété de délicieux plats faits maison tout en prenant une pause dans votre études.

• Activité « Peignez votre propre tablier » : Soyez créatif et dessinez votre propre tablier tout en vous détendant avec vos amis !

Les dates et heures de ces événements seront annoncées prochainement, restez à l’écoute pour plus de détails !

📚️ Livre (en anglais) : Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

A therapist, her therapist and our lives revealed. A fascinating and enjoyable read by Lori Gottlieb that gives us a peek into psychotherapy from the perspective of a therapist who needed it herself.

Welcome to the Beating Burnout Newsletter. A digital magazine dedicated to living mindfully, deeper reflection and personal growth.

❄️ As winter continues, it’s common to experience a dip in mood and energy. Seasonal depression; often known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can affect anyone, including dedicated nursing students like you. With the demands of the winter semester, it’s important to recognize the signs of seasonal depression and take proactive steps to keep yourself motivated and healthy.

Understanding Seasonal Depression

Seasonal depression is more than just a case of the “winter blues.” It’s characterized by feelings of sadness, low energy, changes in appetite or sleep, and difficulty concentrating. While these symptoms can be challenging, understanding that they are common during the colder months can help you seek the support you need.

Practical Strategies to Boost Your Mood

1. Embrace Natural Light:
   Even on cloudy days, try to spend a few minutes outdoors. Natural sunlight helps regulate your circadian rhythm and can boost your mood. If outdoor time is limited, consider investing in a light therapy box.

2. Stay Active:
   Physical activity is a natural mood booster. Incorporate regular exercise into your routine—even a brisk walk on campus can make a big difference.

3. Set a Consistent Routine:
   Structure can be a lifesaver during the winter semester. Set regular times for studying, meals, exercise, and relaxation. A predictable schedule can help manage stress and enhance your overall well-being.

4. Connect with Peers:
   Social support is crucial. Whether it’s a study group, a coffee catch-up, or a virtual chat, connecting with fellow nursing students can help you feel less isolated during these challenging months.

5. Prioritize Sleep:
   Quality sleep is essential for mental health. Aim for a consistent sleep schedule and create a relaxing bedtime routine. Limit screen time before bed to improve your sleep quality.

Staying Motivated Academically and Personally

• Set Realistic Goals:
  Break your semester goals into manageable tasks. Celebrate small victories along the way to maintain a positive outlook.

• Mindfulness and Self-Care:
  Incorporate mindfulness techniques such as meditation or deep-breathing exercises into your day. These practices can help you manage stress and remain focused.

• Seek Professional Help When Needed:
  If feelings of depression become overwhelming, don’t hesitate to reach out to a counselor or mental health professional. Your well-being is important, and many institutions offer resources tailored specifically for students.

• Reflect on Your ‘Why’:
  Remember why you chose nursing. Reflecting on your passion for caring for others can serve as a powerful motivator, even during the toughest days.

🌳 Resource Corner

For more information : https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/seasonal-affective-disorder/

Bienvenue dans la newsletter Beating Burnout. Un magazine numérique dédié à une vie en pleine conscience, à une réflexion approfondie et à la croissance personnelle.

❄️ Avec l’arrivée de l’hiver, il est courant de ressentir une baisse d’humeur et d’énergie. La dépression saisonnière, souvent connue sous le nom de trouble affectif saisonnier (TAS), peut toucher n’importe qui, y compris les étudiants en soins infirmiers dévoués comme vous. Compte tenu des exigences du semestre d’hiver, il est important de reconnaître les signes de la dépression saisonnière et de prendre des mesures proactives pour rester motivé et en bonne santé.

Comprendre la dépression saisonnière

La dépression saisonnière est plus qu’un simple cas de « blues hivernal ». Elle se caractérise par des sentiments de tristesse, une baisse d’énergie, des changements d’appétit ou de sommeil et des difficultés de concentration. Bien que ces symptômes puissent être difficiles à vivre, le fait de comprendre qu’ils sont courants pendant les mois les plus froids peut vous aider à trouver le soutien dont vous avez besoin.

Stratégies pratiques pour améliorer votre humeur

1. Profitez de la lumière naturelle :
   Même par temps nuageux, essayez de passer quelques minutes à l’extérieur. La lumière naturelle du soleil aide à réguler votre rythme circadien et peut stimuler votre humeur. Si le temps passé à l’extérieur est limité, envisagez d’investir dans une boîte de luminothérapie.

2. Restez actif :
   L’activité physique est un stimulant naturel de l’humeur. Intégrez l’exercice régulier dans votre routine - même une marche rapide sur le campus peut faire une grande différence.

3. Établissez une routine cohérente :
   La structure peut vous sauver la vie pendant le semestre d’hiver. Fixez des heures régulières pour étudier, manger, faire de l’exercice et vous détendre. Un emploi du temps prévisible peut vous aider à gérer le stress et à améliorer votre bien-être général.

4. Établissez des liens avec vos pairs :
   Le soutien social est essentiel. Qu’il s’agisse d’un groupe d’étude, d’une rencontre autour d’un café ou d’une discussion virtuelle, le fait d’être en contact avec d’autres étudiants en soins infirmiers peut vous aider à vous sentir moins isolé au cours de ces mois difficiles.

5. Donnez la priorité au sommeil :
   Un sommeil de qualité est essentiel à la santé mentale. Essayez d’avoir un horaire de sommeil régulier et créez une routine relaxante à l’heure du coucher. Limitez le temps passé devant un écran avant le coucher pour améliorer la qualité de votre sommeil.

Rester motivé sur le plan académique et personnel

• Fixez des objectifs réalistes :
  Divisez vos objectifs semestriels en tâches gérables. Célébrez les petites victoires en cours de route pour garder une attitude positive.

• La pleine conscience et le soin de soi :
  Incorporer dans votre journée des techniques de pleine conscience telles que la méditation ou des exercices de respiration profonde. Ces pratiques peuvent vous aider à gérer le stress et à rester concentré.

• Demandez de l’aide professionnelle si nécessaire :
  Si les sentiments de dépression deviennent accablants, n’hésitez pas à consulter un conseiller ou un professionnel de la santé mentale. Votre bien-être est important et de nombreux établissements offrent des ressources spécialement conçues pour les étudiants.

• Réflichissez à votre « pourquoi » :
  Rappelez-vous pourquoi vous avez choisi les soins infirmiers. Réfléchir à votre passion pour le soin des autres peut être une puissante source de motivation, même dans les moments les plus difficiles.

🌳 Coin Ressource

Pour plus d’information : https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/seasonal-affective-disorder/

Bienvenue dans la newsletter "Beating Burnout". Un magazine numérique dédié à vivre en pleine conscience, à une réflexion plus profonde et à la croissance personnelle.

Ce mois-ci, nous avons un événement "Venez marcher avec nous" au campus Lees, ainsi qu'un rappel pour tous que lorsqu'on est stressé pendant les études, il est important de faire une pause et d'essayer une activité de bien-être. Parmi les activités à essayer : l’exercice, l’art-thérapie, faire des pauses fréquentes et rejoindre nos événements lorsqu'ils sont organisés.

Quelques autres exemples de soins personnels incluent la lecture d'un livre, les soins de la peau et le maquillage, la pratique du yoga ou de la méditation, et les affirmations d'amour de soi.

Voici quelques-unes de nos affirmations préférées :

• "Aimez-vous d'abord, et tout le reste suivra."

• "Parlez-vous comme si vous parliez à quelqu'un que vous aimez."

• "Tomber amoureux de soi-même est le premier secret du bonheur."

• "Aimez-vous."

• "La façon dont vous vous aimez est la façon dont vous apprenez aux autres à vous aimer."

• "La mode est ma façon d'exprimer combien je m’aime."

N'oubliez pas d'adopter des routines saines. L'hygiène du sommeil est un outil important pour vous aider à établir une routine de santé. Manger plus sainement peut également favoriser une routine saine.

Qu'est-ce que l'hygiène du sommeil ?
L’hygiène du sommeil est un ensemble d’habitudes et de pratiques qui favorisent un sommeil de qualité, réparateur et constant. L’objectif est de créer un environnement et d’adopter des comportements qui soutiennent le cycle naturel veille-sommeil du corps, facilitant ainsi l’endormissement et le maintien du sommeil. Une bonne hygiène du sommeil peut prévenir des problèmes comme l’insomnie et améliorer la qualité globale du sommeil.

Comment manger plus sainement ?

• Manger des aliments complets : privilégier les fruits, les légumes, les grains entiers et les protéines maigres.

• Équilibrer les macronutriments : inclure des protéines, des graisses saines et des glucides complexes dans chaque repas.

• Augmenter la fibre : consommer davantage d’aliments riches en fibres comme les légumes, les fruits et les légumineuses.

• Réduire les aliments transformés : limiter les aliments sucrés, salés et emballés.

• Préparer les repas à l'avance : planifier et préparer des repas à l’avance pour faciliter des choix alimentaires plus sains.

• Boire de l’eau : rester hydraté en privilégiant l’eau, en évitant les boissons sucrées.

• Cuisiner à la maison : préparer vos repas à la maison pour mieux contrôler les ingrédients et les portions.

🌳 Coin des Ressources

Pour plus d’informations sur l'hygiène du sommeil, vous pouvez consulter les sites suivants :
www.canadiansleepsociety.ca, www.sleephealthfoundation.ca, www.cmha.ca.

Pour plus d’informations sur une alimentation saine, vous pouvez consulter ces ressources :
www.canada.ca/en/health-canada, https://meant2prevent.ca/unlock-food/, https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/healthy-eating.html.

Si vous souhaitez explorer vos blessures émotionnelles avec un psychothérapeute, il n’y a pas de meilleur moment que maintenant. Nous avons collaboré avec Julie Clarke Therapy pour offrir une psychothérapie à tarif réduit aux étudiants en soins infirmiers de l’Université d’Ottawa. Chaque séance est à un tarif de 100$/séance, et avec l’assurance étudiante Greenshield, cela peut descendre à 20$/séance. Envoyez un message à beating.burnout2019@gmail.com si vous êtes intéressé(e) à en savoir plus !

_{Welcome to the Beating Burnout Newsletter. A digital magazine dedicated to living mindfully, deeper reflection and personal growth.}

This month we have a come walk with us event at Lees Campus as well as a reminder to all that when stressed when studying take a break and try a wellness activity. Some activities to try such as exercise, art therapy, taking frequent breaks and joining our events when we have them.

Some other examples of self-care are reading a book, skincare and makeup, doing yoga or meditation, and self-love affirmations.

A few of our favourite affirmations are

• “Love yourself first, and everything else falls in line”

• “Talk to yourself like someone you love.”

• “To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness.”

• “Love yourself”

• “How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you.”

• “Fashion is my way to express how much I love myself.”

Don’t forget to adopt healthy routines. Sleep hygiene is an important tool to help you create a healthy routine. Eating healthier can help create a healthy routine.

What is sleep hygiene? - sleep hygiene is a set of habits and practices that promote consistent, restful, and quality sleep. The goal of sleep hygiene is to create an environment and establish behaviours that support the body's natural sleep-wake cycle, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Good sleep hygiene can help prevent sleep problems like insomnia and improve overall sleep quality.

Ways we can eat healthier - Eat Whole Foods: Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Balance Macronutrients: Include protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs in every meal. Increase Fiber: Eat more fibre-rich foods like veggies, fruits, and legumes. Cut Processed Foods: Limit sugary, salty, and packaged foods. Meal Prep: Plan and prepare meals ahead to make healthier choices easier. Drink Water: Stay hydrated with water, avoiding sugary drinks. Cook at Home: Prepare meals at home to control ingredients and portions.

🌳 Resource Corner

For more information on sleep hygiene, you can visit www.canadiansleepsociety.ca, www.sleephealthfoundation.ca, www.cmha.ca

For more information on healthy eating www.canada.ca/en/health-canada, https://meant2prevent.ca/unlock-food/, https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/healthy-eating.html.

If you are interested in diving into your core wounds with a psychotherapist, there’s no better time than now. We partnered with Julie Clarke Therapy to offer low-fee psychotherapy to nursing students at the University of Ottawa. Each session is at a rate of 100$/session, and with the Greenshield Student insurance, it can be as low as 20$/session. Send a message to beating.burnout2019@gmail.com if you are interested in learning more!

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For the last issue of the 2024 Winter Semester, we decided to switch up the newsletter format to include a video! The following is a reflection looking back on four lessons from each year of nursing school.

• ⚔️ Year 1: Pick and Choose Your Battles.

• ➗ Year 2: Empathy is Important, but Differentiate What is Happening to You Versus What is Happening to Them.

• 🌦️ Year 3: You are Worthy, It’s Okay to Have Bad Days.

• 💕 Year 4: Cherish Those Around You.

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‎ ‎ …

‎ ‎ …

Black History Month 📚️ 

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February is Black History Month, a time to honour the pivotal accomplishments of Black people in Canada and their communities. Their past and present efforts lay the foundation of Canada’s diverse society.

Although they have championed and advocated for equity in society, many systemic challenges in healthcare still exist, which leads to marginalization, discrimination and exclusion.

There has been a shift in nursing curricula in recent years to acknowledge and promote anti-racist approaches; however, there still remains significant gaps:

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If you are short on time, skip to section 3!

1 - Acknowledging BIPOC Figures, Experiences and Knowledge in Nursing 🩺 

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Historically, BIPOC have played essential roles in healthcare - from extensive knowledge of traditional medicines, to hygiene practices, to care delivery. Unfortunately, much of the nursing sphere is seen through a predominantly White lens which has very limited recognition of the experiences and knowledge of the BIPOC community, which has devastating effects on both future healthcare workers and the diverse patients that they care for.

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🏆️ Accomplishments by Black Nurses!

2 - Dealing with racism in clinical settings 💪 

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There is a lack of discussion around self-compassion and how to report racism encountered in the clinical, academic and personal setting. Racism is extremely multifaceted, ranging from everyday interpersonal interactions to institutional policies, attitudes and ideologies.

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😨 Dealing with aggressive patients

• Black nurses in Canada are subjected to microaggressions and overt racism from patients, colleagues and superiors. Yet, there is an expectation that you must simply keep calm and carry on with your care as if nothing happened.

• Akindele, an RN in Ottawa (on a CBC article):

  • "You have patients say the N-word, and make ignorant comments. I've had patients touch my hair many, many times. I've had patients speak to me in ways that are obviously not appropriate. I've had people say, 'Oh, I don't want a coloured nurse,'"

  • “I had a coworker, one day she just pulled me to the side and said, 'I just want to let you know that you're not alone in this. I even had to stop wearing my hijab to work,'“

Read more about the experiences of Black Nurses with patient racism on CBC’s White Coat Black ARt.

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📔 But, know that ill health is not an excuse for racist behaviours. No one deserves to be treated that way.

• Warn the patient in a firm and respectful manner that their behaviour towards you, or your colleagues, is unacceptable. State that you will end the professional relationship if they don’t change their behaviour.

• Note down what is being said or done, and report behaviours to clinical instructor, nursing educators, unit manager, etc. ‎

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👨‍⚕️ But, talk with your clinical instructor or primary nurse. If the patient refuses to correct their behaviour, do not brush it aside.

• The cumulative effects of microaggressions and overt racism are devastating and can lead to internalized racism.

• As a nursing student, don’t hesitate to ask your clinical instructor; and as a nurse, don’t hesitate to notify the charge nurse about swapping out of an assignment where the patient harasses you based on your background.

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💗 But, reach out to designated black support staff to talk to and debrief your experiences

• Join the Black Nurses Leading Change interest group (BNLC) from RNAO - they advocate for anti-black racism, offer mentorship and provide continuous education. It’s membership is also free for undergraduate students! (learn more)

• Join the Black, Indigenous, and People or Colour Support Group at uOttawa - a bilingual drop-in group offered every last Thursday of the month at FTX 102. They provide a safe place for students to reflect on how their identities and experiences impact their mental health (themes: belonging, macro/microaggressions, cultural stigma, intergenerational trauma, racial profiling, empowerment, resilience) (learn more)

RNAO’s Black Nurses Task Force

3 - How Nursing Students Can Advocate for Changes ❣️ 

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There is an expectation that nursing students should just follow the curriculum as is - to see what is taught as fact, and not cause trouble. However, curricula reflects dominant discourses in society, and as nursing students going through the program, we have the ground-level view on how the school can broaden the discussion surrounding racism and EDI.

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Dealing with the White Lens of Healthcare

• Canadian nursing curricula have been criticized for relying too heavily on Eurocentric ideological foundations that reinforces prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination towards marginalized groups. There exists a disregard for personal and ethnic rituals, and unquestioned deference toward medical and scientific procedures. (learn more)

  • Many nursing assessment textbooks show essential medical conditions on predominantly white patients (images and diagrams of key signs and symptoms are shown on pale skin individuals). This content does not cover what is essential for future nurses who must learn to give safe care to marginalized populations.

  • There is also a lack of acknowledgement and value attributed to diverse cultural treatments and practices (nutritional, herbal, natural medicines) that diverge from existing Western pharmaceutical interventions.

  • As one members of the Anti-Racism in Nursing Education Working Group said: “There’s a close connection between whiteness and being European and being a good nurse,” so rather than being themselves, they try to become an idealized White nurse”

Example of Kawasaki’s disease, a type of systemic vasculitis which also affects the coronary arteries, commonly occuring in children under 5. One of the key S&S is a “red rash”, which is easily identifiable on pale skin, but appears differently on darker skin. Image sourced from Mind the Gap (see below)

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📚️ But, promote educational materials that include diversity - Mind the Gap — Black & brown skin is a clinical handbook created by Malone Mukwende, a medical student, to highlight the lack of diversity in medical literature and education.

• We can notify class professors to include more resources and images to support clinical diversity.

• If you are uncomfortable with a professor’s practices, you may also provide tips and feedback towards UNSA.
  

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🏵️ But, you can learn about cultural differences while examining current power dynamics. - Although awareness of diverse cultural practices is important, making assumptions about people based on their appearances can be harmful and can suggest that culture is that of the “other”, or the non-white.

• Many studies in nursing regarding cultural differences (cultural competency) are not designed to focus on how the production of knowledge takes place within unequal terrains of power, nor are they designed to resist disempowering cultural messages.

Self Assessment for Cultural Humility and Comptence

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🎓️ But, you can pursue broader systemic changes - Until recently, many nursing curricula omitted content that incorporated the experiences, contributions or basic existence of Black nurses in Canada.

• Joining clubs with a mission to address BIPOC gaps and increase EDI. There are countless student associations that you may find at the uOttawa Clubs List.

• Understanding who is in the chain of command is crucial to starting systems level changes, whether in uOttawa or TOH - you can contact who is exactly is in charge with ongoing issues and suggested solutions.

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This is the Senior Leadership Team at TOH in 2021. Note that there are Directors of Human Resources that focus on people’s health (Bryan Faestra) and a safe workplace (Charlotte Catenguay) - Click here to see a bigger diagram.

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• Going for higher education can help you enact change in nursing curricula through critical race theories, integration of traditional medicines and non-pharmacotherapy-related interventions from diverse cultures, and much more. Some hospitals will subsidize higher education for existing nurses, and the university also offers some scholarships and bursaries (ie. OGS - Ontario Graduate Scholarship)

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There are so many realms of integrative health therapy that is not covered by the dominant nursing discourse. Image sourced from the NIH.

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Inclusion in nursing school 🙌 

How schools can improve inclusion:

• Include more education on how students can respond compassionately to someone who is hurt by racism

• Ensure that clinical learning environments are diverse and include diverse demographics of patients

• Alleviate financial barriers endured by minority groups

• Expose diverse youth to nursing experiences

• Provide social support and mentoring for diverse students to encourage success

• Challenge stereotypes by increasing the visibility of underrepresented groups in front-line and leadership positions

• Consider options that are flexible and convenient, such as offering courses online and in the evening, thus accommodating a broader student population

• Remove outdated admission and recruitment policies that might facilitate further homogeneity in nursing

^Resources 💭 

🧠 Low-Fee Psychotherapy

If you are interested in diving into your core wounds with a psychotherapist, there’s no better time than now. We partnered with Julie Clarke Therapy to offer low-fee psychotherapy to nursing students at the University of Ottawa. Each session is at a rate of 100$/session, and with the Greenshield Student insurance, it can be as low as 20$/session. Send a message to beating.burnout2019@gmail.com if you are interested in learning more!

😆 Fun Flowsheet

Self-Care

Although reading week is over, try your best to carry forwards your self-care activities!

• Enjoy your time by relaxing and doing an activity you like such as reading, yoga, crocheting, or visiting with friends. 

• Do something that makes you happy. 

• If you have exams coming remember to take a break for yourself like go for a walk, read a few chapters of a book, or stretch.

Welcome to the Beating Burnout Newsletter. A digital magazine dedicated to living mindfully, deeper reflection and personal growth. Read more on our website.

📔 On Shift Work

Although not all domains of nursing require shift-work, it is often seen in 24/7 care centres. The typical full time schedule in the Canadian hospital setting is 12 hour shifts: 2 days, 2 nights, then 5 days off. (It is interesting to note that in the USA, consistent day and consistent night schedules are more common than rotating shifts).

A lot of people appreciate this format as it allows them to have a series of days off. However, for many nursing students who are used to consistent waking and sleeping schedules, shift work can be very daunting.

This newsletter is for those going into consolidation who don’t have control over their schedule - there are still ways to protect your health and wellbeing.

🩹 Anticipating Health Risks

It is important to be aware of the impacts that rotational schedules have on our health, so we can understand the rationale behind some of the tips in this newsletter!

Through evolution, humans have adapted to adjust to 24hr cycles. We have a circadian rhythm, whereby the brain’s hypothalamus sends important signals to the brain to adjust hormone levels, body temperature, digestion, etc. that affect sleep. This is affected by cues such as light (suppression of melatonin), or clock and meal times ¹ .

Shift work can be very difficult to get used to since it goes against what we are biologically adapted to. You may feel excessively fatigued and disoriented at first. It is important to acknowledge that night shift work has been classified as a Group 2A carcinogen by the International Agency of Research on Cancer (IARC) ² and rotational shift work can lead to decreased quality and quantity of sleep and GI and cardiovascular symptoms ³ .

Graphs adapted from HRP Lab

💤 Key Need #1: Sleep

Implications of Shift Work on Sleep

⚠️ Increased fatigue: 

• Sleep is neuroprotective - it helps us remove toxic waste byproducts that accumulate throughout our waking hours and helps to consolidate memories ⁴. Fatigue alters judgment and makes you prone to mistakes, decreases your stress and irritation threshold ⁵.

• Additionally, cognitive functioning is significantly diminished after 17 hours without sleep and people who are awake over 21 hours function as if they are legally drunk (BAC 0.08) ⁶

🥱 Reduced sleep quality

•  It can be difficult to sleep during the day due to inconsistent sleep schedules, external noises (family members, construction, traffic), and exposure to blue-wavelength light.

What to Do?

🗓️ Sleep schedule: 

• Here are a few suggestions from nursing colleagues, but ultimately everyone’s body is different, and it will take time to figure out what works for you

  • Welltrack Boost, a CBT Program for Healthcare workers recommends the following:

    • Night shifts: get a large chunk of sleep immediately after coming home (6h+ during the day), then a 90 minute naps right before the next night shift, which is the duration of one REM cycle ⁷.

    • Night to day shifts: take a 90 minute nap after your night shift, stay up during the day, then get a large chunk of sleep afterwards (6h+ during the night).

  • Here is another example of a sleep schedule:

Example of how to schedule sleep into a rotating schedule by Jeremy, a superb nurse at the ED in Civic :)

🛖 Setting up your environment

• To optimize your sleep and reduce disruptions, here are a few tips that can help:

  • Block out daytime stimuli:

    • “I would suggest the use of blackout curtains, earplugs/ music, white noise machine, or eye mask, for a better conducive sleeping environment.” - Miguel Rams (also a fantastic nurse!)

    • Set your phone to silent

    • Let loved ones know about your schedule, place a DND sign on your door

  • Sleep hygiene

    • Reduce blue-light prior to sleep as it suppresses melatonin secretion ⁸. Although tempting, try not to use your phone 1-2 hours before bed.

    • Place warm red-yellow hued lights that can help stimulate melatonin release and relaxation ⁹

Taken from University of Sheffield on X

💡 Additional tips:

• Wear sunglasses on the way home to minimize exposure to strong lights following a night shift. Please make sure you are not excessively drowsy when doing so ¹⁰.

• After a night shift, it is okay to not be productive when everyone is rushing to start their days. Take the time to reflect and relax, practice self-care. If you try to do too much, you can get a second wind (aligned with the body’s release of cortisol), which will make it harder to sleep ¹¹.

• On your off days, you will sleep a lot. It might feel like wasted time, but it is not. You need sleep to function!

🥝 Key Need #2: Nutrition

Implications of Shift Work on Meals

🍩 Increased risk for poorer diet

• It’s normal to get very hungry on night shifts. Ghrelin, a hormone that promotes appetite, increases when we are sleep deprived. This causes us to crave high-carbohydrate, high-lipid and high sodium foods ¹².

  • In Ottawa, there are also very limited food choices at night - vending machines and few late-night fast food delivery restaurants.

🤢 Increased risk for indigestion

• Gastrointestinal motility (gastric electrical activity and bile synthesis) is lowest at night, leading to delayed emptying which leads to increased gastric acid secretion ¹².

What to Do?

📆 Meal prep

• Try to make your meals ahead of time, on your rest days or when shifting from day to night shift.

• Night shift meals should be light, but frequent, because the delayed gastric emptying can lead to indigestion and heartburn. Heavy meals that are high in refined carbohydrates can increase fatigue after meals ¹³.

• Try to pack foods that are high in fibre, protein and with low glycemic index to help stabilize blood glucose and help you feeling fuller for longer ¹⁴.

  • This includes a balance of vegetables, fruit, lean proteins, dairy products, grains, and bread.

Foods high in protein can increase satiety. Image taken from Kay Nutrition.

🛖 Meal timing

• Try to keep meals at the same time;

  • “When you’re heading into your set of night shifts, you need to follow your regular day routine the day you’re starting the night shift. Eat 3 meals or whatever your routine is. Take a nap. When you get to work, fuel up on coffee. Get all the clinical things done before 2300. Try to eat something around 2200-2300.” - Jennifer Hurtubise, great nurse who worked over 10 years in med-surge units and who spoke on our podcast!

• On nights, eat lightly throughout the shift and have a moderate breakfast. This way, you won’t get too hungry while sleeping during the day, and digestive discomfort should be minimal.

💡 Additional tips:

• Drink lots of water (2000cc) to stay hydrated during your shift.

• Supplement Vitamin D (some studies recommend 2000-5000IU) as needed ¹⁵.

• Try to do food and shopping before nights to minimize the amount of chores you need to do when you are tired.

💪 Key Need #3: Exercise

Implications of Shift Work on Exercise

🏀 Decreased opportunities for physical activity

• It becomes difficult to adhere to exercise commitments because organized recreational sports often have rigid schedules which don’t match unusual times of day, or if you are sleep-deprived ¹⁶.

🧠 Impacts on CV and psychological wellness

• Exercise plays a key role in helping us metabolize stress chemicals, release endorphins, and improves brain health ¹⁷.

What to Do?

🥅 Weekly exercise goals

• Although we walk a lot for our occupation, it is important to include at least 2.5 hours of moderate-vigorous aerobic activity and 2 resistance/strength training activities a week ¹⁸.

  • Unfortunately, sometimes this means exercising alone in 24/7 gyms (ie. GoodLife Fitness attached to TOH campuses with discounted employee rates or Fit for Less facilities with flexible hours), outside, or at home.

🏥 Work shifts

• Try to fit in some light exercise during or after a shift.

  • Wall push ups, running up and down the stairs, or dynamic stretches can increase alertness during your breaks. (If you are self-conscious, you could use a quiet stairwell!)

  • “A bit of light exercise for the purpose of tiring yourself out, I guess. That’s what I do anyways” - Miguel Rams

Examples of dynamic standing stretches by ATI: Physical Therapy

♨️ Coping Strategies

Now that we touched upon our foundational needs, we can move onto some coping strategies: substance use, leisure and stress management.

Substances

☕️ Caffeine

• If choosing caffeinated drinks, try to use early in night shift since the half life of caffeine is 5 hours ¹⁹ .

• Moderate caffeine doses up to 200 mg can increase alertness and improve cognitive performance, but higher doses (daily limit of 400mg) can often result in poorer sleep outcomes ²⁰ .

  

  Taken from Celsius

🍶 Alcohol

• Many people report that unwinding with alcohol helps them fall asleep faster as it is a CNS depressant. However, it reduces the amount of REM sleep you get, which can increase fatigue in the long run ²¹ .

  

  Taken from Alcohol and Sleep - Sleep Foundation

🍃 Cannabis (THC, CBD, CBN)

• Please ensure that you do appropriate research about key topics (tolerance, rebound insomnia, impairment - Cannabis Made Clear) and consult healthcare providers if considering these options.

  • THC: delays onset of REM stage and reduces number of REM cycles, which can impair memory, increase grogginess and lethargy. It is also important to note that the duration of psychoactive effects can last longer than anticipated. Read more about the CNO’s stance on Cannabis use.

  • CBD and CBN: these substances have been used in patients with insomnia, depression and PTSD and have been shown to decrease sleep onset latency (allowing people to fall asleep faster). However, research on CBN is still unclear ²² .

Leisure

🎾 Take leisure seriously

• Allocate time to spend with friends and family for wellbeing. Do activities that would make your inner child happy - Listen to music that resonates with your soul, play games with loved ones, create art in any form, remember to express yourself and find the joy in life.

Stress Management

😟 It is normal to feel stressed

• One aspect of managing stress is looking for areas where you have choices. You may not have the choice of whether you work nights or not, but you do have the choice of how to think about the night shift and whether you make the best of it. Sometimes just acknowledging that you do have a choice helps you focus on the positives ¹¹ . 

  • Actively look for and pay attention to the good things. Practising gratitude can help you focus on the pleasant aspects of life.

🙅 It’s totally ok to not want to do shift work

• Everyone’s values, lifestyles and bodies are different. There are many other domains of nursing that will not require rotational shifts:

  • Community, public health, and outpatient jobs usually have a Monday to Friday, 8-hour schedule;

  • Many states in US have straight Day or straight Night without having to rotate between the two

  • Other nurses have decided to work casually and pick-up only day shifts that are available (but this might make schedules more unpredictable)

🎏 For those going through it right now, you are not alone

• Seek help from coworkers, talk to your classmates or upper-years who have been through it, listen to your body, tune into podcasts, or even write to the Beating Burnout team!

  • About 1 in 10 Canadians are shift workers or night shift workers ²³ . You are not alone, even when it might feel that way. Don’t wait for things to build up - for more resources, click here!

A snapshot of our website’s Resource tab

Resources 🌳 

Link to all references used in this newsletter here.

📜 Summary Checklist! We created a quick summary checklist to recap everything covered in this newsletter! Feel free to download the image onto your device. Check it Out

😪 The Sleep Foundation The Sleep Foundation has an extensive library on sleep science that is rooted in medical literature. If you are curious about sleep: stages of sleep, sleep disorders, etc. You can read more: Check it Out

🧠 Low-Fee Psychotherapy If you are interested in diving into your core wounds with a psychotherapist, there’s no better time than now. We partnered with Julie Clarke Therapy to offer low-fee psychotherapy to nursing students at the University of Ottawa. Each session is at a rate of 100$/session, and with the Greenshield Student insurance, it can be as low as 20$/session. Interested? Contact us.

Welcome to the Beating Burnout Newsletter. A digital magazine dedicated to living mindfully, deeper reflection and personal growth. Read more on our website.

❄️ A quick check-in…

Nursing school hammers into our brains that we need to prioritize the needs of others.

We always need to give our patients the benefit of the doubt,

Interpret any difficult behaviour as a sign of an underlying unmet need,

Even when their actions are harsh and take a toll on us.

So that we can advocate for their sake.

But what happens to our own needs?

People, school and broader institutions will inevitably cross our boundaries,

And we often just suck it up and carry on.

But we’re human, we have limits.

We deserve to take up space too,

We can’t keep helping others if we don’t dedicate the same kind energy to ourselves.

📔 What is Assertiveness?

Assertiveness is being able to communicate your perspective openly, honestly and respectfully. It is a form of self-care because you are being clear about your needs and feelings.

To be assertive, you need to be kind…

• (1) To yourself: You must understand that you are worthy of having an opinion and deserve to take up space. You don’t have to always be agreeable to avoid conflict, because being too agreeable allows others to disregard your needs either unintentionally or on purpose. 

• (2) To others: To be honest to others means trusting them as equals who can tolerate differences in opinions. Knowing that they deserve honest communication, and that they will likely work with you to come to a solution.

🦜 Types of Communication

Assertive communication lies on a spectrum that can be summed up as the following: To be passive is to let others decide for you. To be aggressive is to decide for others. To be assertive is to decide for yourself, and to trust that they are enough, that you are enough.

Click on the image below to read more about each style of communication.

You can take this test to see what style of communication you are most comfortable using.

🤔 Why is Assertiveness Important?

Assertiveness also shapes our interactions by communicating what we will and won’t accept. For people who are passive communicators, it is easy for others to assume that you are “okay with everything” and cross boundaries.

• In the short term, self-denial through passive communication can alleviate anxiety by postponing conflict.

• However, when we try to balance too many commitments for other people, we might start to feel as though we are not in control of our own situation. This leads to stress, anger, and frustration.

• Overtime, we can build up resentment due to feelings of being misunderstood or used, and can lead to exhaustion and burnout.

🔮 Practising Assertiveness in Your Daily Life

Why is it difficult?

• 🧍 Individual level: Feelings of low self-esteem and unworthiness make it difficult to view our needs as important. Fearing that others will leave once they see “the true self” can cause people to be too agreeable which allows them to disregard your needs.

• 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family level: Much of our communication styles is modelled and learnt through childhood. Passive communication might occur naturally if someone was constantly berated for expressing their opinions which creates an association between personal needs and conflict.

• 🗺️ Societal level: The level of acceptable assertiveness is deep rooted in the culture and society in which we live. In North America, women tend to be socially conditioned to be more passive and if they are assertive, society tends to label them as aggressive, pushy, catty or b*tchy.

Daily Acts of Assertiveness

• 🪞 Reflect on what your needs are. If you feel slightly uncomfortable from someone else’s actions, lean into that feeling, there is a reason why your body reacted that way. Explore where this came from, what about the situation is conflicting with your values, and name the feeling.

• 💬 Once you figure it out, try to address the issues early on. Be honest, unapologetic and non-accusatory. A good way is to phrase your statement as: “When you [action] i feel [feeling] because [reason] i would prefer [preference]”

• 🚪 If you can’t respond assertively and kindly in the moment because of overwhelming emotions, take a break and then come back to it. But it is always better to say something about what’s bothering you, rather than letting it fester. Communication gives the other person an opportunity to modify their behaviours and come to a solution together.

Thought Journaling

• 😢 Negative emotions and insecurities are channelled from our deepest core wounds. When those feelings are triggered, it can be helpful to slow down and sort out those thoughts on paper.

• 📜 The Australian Centre for Clinical Interventions has a great guide regarding thought journaling, and helps break situations down into (1) Understanding your own reaction; and (2) Challenging your thoughts.

Example of a thought journal / diary.

🩸 Practising Assertiveness as a Nursing Student

Why is it difficult?

• 🧍 Individual Level: As nursing students we often learn skills immediately before performing them in clinical. It’s a steep learning curve and we lack practice, so this shakes our confidence in our own ability and judgment.

• 🗺️ Societal Level: There is also a perception that people in the interdisciplinary team are not approachable, often due to their position and rank. We often assume that they should already know what is happening and our observations are thus, redundant.

Trust Your Gut Feeling

• 😰 Do you feel off based on your observations as a nursing student? Depending on your unit culture, you can ask your primary nurse or clinical instructor to double verify your findings and then assertively suggest your recommendations.

  • Ie. Finding: significantly more unilateral swelling and erythema around the patient’s left elbow, could this be a deep vein thrombosis? → Verification: asking your primary nurse to check it out. → Assert: can we ask the MD to order an ultrasound to rule this out?

Call out Unsafe Practices

• 👨‍🏫 Do you have a clinical instructor who is not on the floor for prolonged periods of time without explanation? Do they belittle and intimidate you when you make a learner’s mistake? You have a right to a safe learning environment, and you can report your experiences to the nursing coordinators through your uOttawa email. 

Recognize Your Limitations

• 🏋️ Are you unsure about how to boost, transfer or pivot patients safely because there is very limited training in school for proper body mechanics? Do you feel uncomfortable because a patient with cognitive decline is trying to touch you inappropriately? Did a nurse ask you to perform a task by yourself that you aren’t confident in? You have a right to be safe. You can say that you are not comfortable with a situation and then get additional hands and support. Do not be afraid to let your clinical instructor know.

🪷 Small Affirmation

I deserve to take more space in my presence around others and to be truly seen.

I deserve to take more space in my voice in a loud world and to be truly heard.

I deserve to take more space in my heart and take care of my needs first.

Because I know these things, I now try not to make my voice small when I want to speak so loudly that it hurts.

I try not to be apologetic for taking the time to express what I feel to others when the person I should be accommodating first is myself.

I try not to bottle up my emotions because the longer I do, the longer it will take to get past ignoring them.

After taking moments to pause and breathe, I gently remind myself again that I am enough. That I deserve to speak from the heart and to be heard. That my thoughts, opinions, and voice matter.

(Taken from: https://tinybuddha.com/blog/7-reasons-i-was-scared-to-take-up-space-and-how-i-boosted-my-confidence/)

Reference Resources 🌳 

📜 CCI Assertiveness Booklet The Australian Centre for Clinical Interventions has an amazing 10-Module PDF resource for assertiveness. It talks about ways to emotionally regulate yourself physically, ways to challenge maladaptive thoughts, and gives tips on how to express yourself in a healthy manner. Check it Out

🎧️ Let’s Talk About… Let’s Talk about Mental Health is another Australian based mental health resource led by Jeremy Godwin, with articles, podcasts and social media pages @ltamentalhealth. Check it Out

🧠 Low-Fee Psychotherapy If you are interested in diving into your core wounds with a psychotherapist, there’s no better time than now. We partnered with Julie Clarke Therapy to offer low-fee psychotherapy to nursing students at the University of Ottawa. Each session is at a rate of 100$/session, and with the Greenshield Student insurance, it can be as low as 20$/session. Interested? Contact us.

📘 Recommended Reads

• Fierce self-compassion (Kristin Neff)

• The assertiveness workbook: how to express your ideas and stand up for yourself at work and in relationships (Randy J Paterson)

🎵 Rapid Records

Instagram post

@juicyjrock

repeat after me: i am enough. every sunrise, every sunset, every day. #selfcare

Instagram post

Welcome to the Beating Burnout Newsletter. A digital magazine dedicated to living mindfully, deeper reflection and personal growth.

🟣 A quick check-in…

We’re taking care of people. That’s our job.
But we are human too, and all we have is our own health.
That health is the resource we need to work, play, connect and live.

Just what is it that we’re chasing, that we’re sprinting so hard for?
Are we putting other people’s needs in front of our own sleep, exercise and meals?

Sometimes we find ourselves with no choice but to run,
But this high-stress state is not sustainable over time.

We must find ways to protect and nurture ourselves.

📔 What is Burnout?

Nursing school can be a continuous go-go-go with overwhelming amounts of information to memorize, clinical hours to attend, exams and written essays, and emotionally taxing interactions. This can drive our bodies to shift into the sympathetic nervous system.

In the short term, it can help increase our energy and focus. But as the semester progresses, chronic stress can lead to increased feelings of burnout - a state of complete mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion.

A Swedish study found the burnout rate among first-year nursing students was 29.7% and for second-year students, it was 36.9%. Although common, there are 3 key steps we can take to manage burnout!

 

1: Recognize the Signs and Symptoms

Listen to your body. All too often, we push aside our fatigue thinking that it is what is expected of nursing school. Although having resilience and discipline to get through hard times can be useful, we need to remember to pause and check-in: am I having persisting and pervasive symptoms of burnout?

2: Reverse Burnout Through Prevention and Micro-Breaks

Prevention is key: Planning

“At certain times, students will be extremely busy with courses and activities - the trick is to have them plan ahead so that they can avoid being overwhelmed when deadlines appear”

• 📆 Deadlines: Writing all of your deadlines in an accessible list, and inputting them in your calendar.

• 🛠️ Long Projects: Set short goals in your calendar to avoid procrastinating until the last minute. The University of Toronto has a free to use assignment planner that can break down academic assignments into a set of reasonable steps.

• 📜 Tests: Set reminders every few days or weeks that prompt you to practice active recall of previous lecture materials! The more often you review the course material, the easier it will be to remember.

• ☑️ Small Assignments: Set alarms and reminders a few days before for assignments that are easy to forget, such as Mastering A&P Assignments, CEO Reflection Posts, odd certificates for online simulations, etc.

• 💕 Breaks and Downtime: Set aside time in your calendar for ‘downtime’. You don’t have to specify whether it will be a walk, nap, bake, knit, etc. By inputting these breaks into your calendar, they can serve as important reminders!

Reflection is crucial: Prioritize

“When things get overwhelming, and we have 10+ balls to juggle, we need to strategically drop a few of the balls or we risk losing all of them at once”

• 🤔 WHAT matters to me? 

  • Prioritize your base needs - adequate sleep, proper diet and moderate exercise.

  • ie. If I already don’t have time to do things, do I really have the time to get sick?

• 🤹 Do I NEED to be doing everything?

  • Constant busyness or distraction doesn’t necessarily mean we aren’t still experiencing difficult emotions beneath the surface.

  • ie. Do I have the energy to work an extra shift this weekend? What happens if I say ‘no’?

• ♻️ Are there tasks I can DROP?

  • Sometimes, doing a few things very well might be more worthwhile than taking on too many things at one time and barely getting by.

  • ie. What am I involved in, but not feeling a direction or a path forwards?

Acute management is next: Micro-Breaks

“Microbreaks is a form of brief psychological detachment from work tasks that puts high demands on our resources, and allows us to replenish our energy temporarily until we find time to rest”

3: Build Resilience through Individual Recovery and Systemic Changes

“Addressing burnout requires a multi-faceted approach. While personal time management skills can help individuals cope to some extent, the responsibility should not solely fall on individuals. It's crucial to push for systemic changes that prioritize mental health and well-being within the structures of society.”

Individual Recovery: Self-Care and Resources

• 💻️ The following are a few amazing resources you can read to build your knowledge on burnout!

• ☎️ The following are some crisis lines worth saving in your phone or as a screenshot, in case you or your loved ones need them for the future:

  • Mental health crisis - 1+ (866) 996-0991

  • Ottawa and the counties of Prescott Russell, Renfrew & Stormont Dundas and Glengarry - 1+ (613) 722-6914

  • Leeds and Grenville district - 1+ (866) 281-2911

  • Pembroke Regional Hospital Mobile Crisis Team -  1+ (613) 732-3675 ext. 8116 or 1+ (866) 996-0991

  • Youth Services Bureau 24/7 Crisis Line - 1+ (613) 260-2360 or 1+ (877) 377-7775

Systemic Changes: Notice and Report

• Have you noticed practices in the nursing program (academia, clinicals, labs, attitudes, stigmas) that are conducive to burnout?

• Reach out to lab coordinators, student associations (UNSA) or even our email at beating.burnout2019@gmail.com and express your experiences and opinions!

• If you are noticing it, you are probably not the only one. Speaking out about unreasonable practices can help us bring evidence to the school of nursing and eventually foster a safer environment for everyone!

Resources Corner 🌳 

• Instagram accounts with quotes 📷️ 

  • @thegoodquote 

  • @selfcare.recipe

  • @twillostory

• Tiktoks for some light humour 🎶 

• Podcast highlight 🎤 

EP:1 Welcome to the circus of life

Listen to this episode from I Beg Your Pardon on Spotify. In this first episode of the podcast John will dive deep into his childhood andopen.spotify.com/episode/3k8alUxwrpVvdw3fQJS5Uj?si=36263cee897f480b

Positive Affirmations 💗 

cWelcome to the Beating Burnout Newsletter. A digital magazine dedicated to living mindfully, deeper reflection and personal growth.

🍂 A third of the way through…

as the air cools, and the leaves start to fall,

the crisp autumn wind is not the only thing that is picking up its pace…

October brings about a new period: mid-term season

it’s normal to feel stressed, strained and spent,

but like seasons, this phase will also pass by.

Remember to appreciate the small beauties of nature.

📔 Effective Studying: Active Recall and Spaced Repetition

“I have pages on pages on pages of notes! Where do I start?”

In school, we are taught what to learn, but not how to learn it! Many of us default to re-reading and highlighting notes, which makes it hard to really commit things to memory.

We need to understand how our memory works and use that to our advantage!

Information that we learn is stored into our working (or short-term) memory.

When we organize information into categories or connect them with our own personal experiences, this information can be encoded in our long-term memory.

However, this information will eventually be forgotten if we don’t use it! When we retrieve or recall the information that we learned, it strengthens our memory of that topic.

Active recall is a way to practice our memory retrieval! Here’s a few ideas that are based on active recall:

• ⁉️ Question-Answer Notes: Try to write your notes as a question, and hide the answers! The next time you review, instead of re-reading what you learnt, try to actively remember the concepts!

  

  You can use: Notion.so (illustrated above), Remnote.io, Flashcard Software or Cornell Notes Formatting!

• 📑 Learning Objectives Guide: Jot down learning objectives from PowerPoint slides or nursing textbooks. Next, try to write, draw or explain as much as you recall about that topic. Once you are done, check your course notes and pay attention to what you have forgotten.

Example of Learning Objectives that you can copy and paste into a blank document and start typing!

• 📚️ Question Bank Practice: Whether it be official textbook question banks (highly recommended), online Quizlets from former nursing students, textbook chapter questions, or other online resources, all type of quiz material help you determine which areas of knowledge are stronger or weaker.

Look at the amount of Quizlets made by previous students! If you are short on time to make your own flashcards, there are many resources to draw upon. Just take the answers provided with a grain of salt and always verify with your own class content.

Spaced Repetition helps us answer the question: “How often should I review?”

Everyone works differently - some people prefer rigid study schedules, and others review sporadically whenever they have time! Whichever strategy you pick, make sure that you review the content in each class at least a few times.

This is because humans forget information at a exponential rate as seen in the Ebbinghaus Curve of Forgetting (below)!

When we learn something new for the first time, we forget about ~40% of it by the 3rd day. After our first review, we forget ~30% of the information by the 3rd day. And with each subsequent review, we gradually retain the information for longer periods of time.

Each review allows us to strengthen the synapse between nerves involved in specific memories. Through spaced repetition, we are trying to combat the saying: “what you don’t use, you lose.”

Left: Ebbinghaus Curve of Forgetting, Right: somewhat frequent review of key topics!

😴 Prioritizing Sleep: Sleep Consolidation and Caffeine Naps

“I’m just so tired…”

Oftentimes, nursing school is hectic and we fall behind on studying. So we tend to leave studying to last minute, and pull late nights. However, midterm season is when we need to prioritize sleep the most!

• 🛌 Slow-Wave-Sleep (SWS), a memory consolidation booster: When we first learn information, the information is stored in our hippocampus. Sleep consolidation is where the hippocampus reorganizes memories and encodes it to the neo-cortex in a more permanent form of storage.

In the first 1-4hrs of our sleep, our brain enters slow-wave-sleep which allows the hippocampus to communicate with our neocortex (active-systems consolidation). The later 4-8hrs of our sleep includes more REM sleep, where neocortical memory representations of the information learnt is strengthened.

• 💤 Midday Naps: According to the US Sleep Foundation, an afternoon nap between 20-30 minutes can help aid memory formation and improve learning! Some people also try caffeine naps, as the onset of caffeine is 30 minutes after consumption - so they wake up feeling more alert!

Remember to take caffeine >6hrs before bedtime, since it’s half-life in the body is between 4-6hrs.

Difficulties with nursing school

With clinical schedules shifting from 7am - 3pm on one week, then 3pm - 11pm the next week, it is difficult to have a steady sleep schedule.

Instead of expecting yourself to sleep and wake up at a certain time every day, sometimes the best you can do is try to get 7.5-8.5 hours of sleep most nights, regardless of timing.

It’s okay for your schedule to look different. But if you are experiencing great difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, you can visit the campus’ Health and Wellness Center in the Minto Complex for help!

Student Health and Wellness Center - 801 King Edward Avenue, N203 (2nd floor)

🌳 Resource Corner

🙌 Positive Affirmations

🍅 Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro technique involves short bursts of studying, followed by frequent breaks! You can make the breaks as active as you would like, allowing your body to stretch and refresh! Learn more about this great study technique in this video. Check it Out

Pomodoro Technique by Better Than Yesterday!

📸 Cocoa and Cram

Keep an eye out on our Instagram page for our next in-person event! It will be a free drop-in session for any student looking to study together, drink some hot cocoa and talk about experiences! More details will come shortly. Follow Our Instagram

Welcome to the Beating Burnout Newsletter. A digital magazine dedicated to living mindfully, deeper reflection and personal growth.

🌱 Starting Anew

Whether you are a brand new nursing student at UOttawa, or going into your 2nd, 3rd or 4th year, the Fall semester can be very stressful.

For some it means moving into an unfamiliar city…

For others it means having to commute countless hours on OC Transpo…

For everyone, it is an inevitable change of pace…

Be kind to yourself as you start again.

🪴 Bottom Up, Body Based Self-Regulation

Oftentimes in nursing, we stumble into difficult situations that trigger painful emotions from our past learned experiences.

In periods of intense emotion, our heart pounds, our chest feels tight, our field of perception narrows.

…

Sometimes we have to learn how to tolerate and survive through a stressful situation.

To bring our bodies down from a state of hyper-arousal.

That is distress tolerance.

🪷 Quick Patch 1: Paced Breathing

Take a deep breath in for 5.

Slowly, in through the nose. Notice the sensation of cool air brushing past your throat, filling your lungs and expanding your chest.

Then let go of that breath for 7.

Even more slowly this time, out through the mouth. Releasing that tension, feeling your shoulders and chest fall, notice the sensation of warm air flowing through your lips and into the atmosphere.

Continue to breathe slowly until your body calms down.

🔬 Is it Evidence Based?

Slow breathing techniques seem to strongly involve the parasympathetic nervous system as suggested by increased heart rate variability and respiratory sinus arrhythmia following slow breathing exercises.

When studied through an EEG, these techniques were also paralleled by increases of alpha waves and a decrease in theta waves.

They were also linked with psychological outcomes of decreased anxiety, relaxation, positive energy and pleasantness.

🧊 Quick Patch 2: Ice-It

This one is a less practical in the clinical or school setting, but works well at home.

Hold your breath, and dip your face in a bowl of ice-cold water.

Or hold a cold pack over your eyes, cheek and temple for 30 seconds.

Or run your face under a cold tap.

It will feel unpleasant at first, but it will activate the mammalian dive reflex.

🔬 Is it Evidence Based?

Cold sensation on the cheeks, forehead and nose triggers the trigeminal nerve (CN V), which relays information to our brain stem. The brain stem then sends parasympathetic signals through the vagal nerve, resulting in bradycardia and bradypnea.

This is the mammalian dive reflex, a protective physiological response to cold water submersion.

It allows the body to conserve oxygen stores effectively, by calming down the central nervous system and reducing the fight or flight response.

☘️ Quick Patch 3: Clinical ToolKit

Choose 5 soothing objects that speak to all 5 senses.

• Smell: a mint teabag, a small jasmine perfume bottle, a strip of cologne that smells like the sea.

• Taste: a nostalgia hubba-bubba gum roll, a tropical flavoured gummy bear, a toothbrush and toothpaste

• Touch/Hear: petting a small ball of fur, rolling a fidget spinner, running your finger through a haircomb, applying hand lotion, popping bubble wrap

• See: a photo of a loved one, an motivational quote, the date of your next trip, a birthday letter from a friend

Put 5 objects into a small pouch in your clinical bag. If you need to ground yourself between patients, you have a safe sensory toolkit to come back to with familiar objects that remind you of home.

Try each strategy, and see which one works for you! As school starts, remember to keep these distress tolerance skills in mind. You will inevitably run into situations that are both physically and emotionally demanding - be sure to take a pause, check in with yourself, and soothe your body.

There are times where the circumstances are just too much, and that happens. You deserve to ask for space, you deserve to be heard, and you deserve to feel safe and understood.

Don’t keep distressing situations to yourself. Lean on your supports, friends, instructors, families, pets, therapists, etc. even after you get through the storm.

🌳 Resource Corner

📱 App: How We Feel

The answer to “how are you” is always “good” - It’s not always easy to pinpoint exactly how we feel. This app prompts you to check in and name the emotions that you feel. It can be incredibly powerful to gain insight into those underlying feelings. Check it Out

Emotions are classified by high/low and pleasant/unpleasant. There are monthly statistics too!

💻️ Article: What are Distress Tolerance Skills - Your Ultimate DBT Toolkit

Written by Katherine Compitus, a clinical social worker, this article provides more somatic emotional regulation skills, such as Paired Muscle Relaxation (PMR), and many additional worksheets, guided audio recordings, and book recommendations! Check it Out

Snapshot of article from PositivePsychology.com

📚️ Book: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

A therapist, her therapist and our lives revealed. A fascinating and enjoyable book by Lori Gottlieb that gives us a peek into psychotherapy from the perspective of a therapist who needed it herself. This book dives into our core attachment styles, our defensive mechanisms, and helps us see the humanity in everybody - even in professional clinicians who are expected to be put-together. Check it Out

New York Times Bestseller Book