NURS 478 Self Care Journal

Your Name: Bri Salzetti Your Buddy: Drake Gross

Select any evidence-based intervention/recommendation to follow (do this over 8 weeks):

 Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
 Practice mindfulness meditation for at least 10 minutes everyday
 Complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as biking under 9
mph, dancing, jogging, or playing tennis; or complete 60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week,
such as running, kickboxing, or jumping rope.
 Participate in two professionally led yoga classes for one hour or longer per week
 Spend up to 2 hrs in Nature or longer per week
 Other (Must get your Clinical Faculty approval first, and activity should be up to 2 hrs or longer
per week)

Complete Weekly journal entries:

Week 1 Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
(1/22)
This week I chose to spend up to 2 hours in nature or longer per week. On Tuesday I was outside for
approximately 30 minutes as I walked to lunch and to a clinical site. Additionally, I spent about 3.5
hours outside on Saturday doing volunteer work for the Red Cross.
Comments on Activity:
Overall, by spending around 4 hours outside by just simply walking and talking with friends I was
able to decompress and take my mind off of things.

Week 2 Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

(1/29)
This week I also decided to spend up to 2 hours in nature or longer per week. On Monday my lab
group spent the day on a city bus and walking around our CT and Job corps for a total of around 1.5
hours. On Saturday I went to the outdoor mall and ate lunch outside for a total of 1 hour. On Sunday I
read outside for 30 minutes.
Comments on Activity:
I spent a total of about 4 hours in nature this week. During most of my time outside I was able to
spend it talking to my friends without being distracted by my phone or technology. It allowed me to
have deeper conversations with my friends and appreciate the relationships I have.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

Over my conversation with Drake he noted the following:

 He was able to stick to the routing of 7 hours of sleep per night for both of the first two weeks
 He had to tweak it a bit after the first week as he started with 8 hours of sleep per night and
was waking up groggy.
 He stated that sleeping more made him feel more energized throughout the day which aided in
him being more productive.

M O’C Fall 2018

 Week 3 Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
(2/5) This week I went on three 20-minute walks in order to spend more time in nature. I did these walks
on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. In total I walked outside for a total of 1 hour. Additionally, I
spent 2 hours outside on Friday during lunch with my boyfriend’s family. In total I spent 3 hours
outside in nature this week.
Comments on Activity:
Considering I was also doing my gratitude assignment this week, I realized these short walks left me
feeling refreshed and appreciative of the nature surrounding me. Overall, this week in nature left me
grateful for what I have and where I live.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

 Did mindfulness meditation
 Helped quell anxiety
 Helped make him realize what he was grateful for

Week 4 Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

(2/12) This week I once again chose to spend time in nature. For this week since I had a midterm for 473 I
decided to spend my time studying outside on my apartment’s patio. I studied for about two hours
outside on Tuesday. Additionally, on Thursday I decided to read outside. I read Harry Potter outside
for approximately another two hours. In total I spent four hours outside in nature this week.
Comments on Activity:
Although, I wasn’t very active while I was outside I found that being out in nature allowed me to
focus better on the task at hand. Being outside allowed me to focus solely on either studying or
reading with little to no interruptions.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

 Spent 3 hours in nature this week
 Made him feel more connected to his surroundings and nature as a whole
 The fresh air made him happy and calm

Week 5 Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

(2/19) During this week I once again chose to spend at least two hours in nature this week. I spent 3 hours a
piece on both Saturday and Sunday studying for the midterm on Wednesday. In total I spent 6 hours
outside.

Comments on Activity:
Overall, my experience this week was pretty similar to the week prior. By spending time outside, I
was able to minimize any distractions which made me study more efficiently. Additionally, it was a
lot more calming studying inside than in my apartment.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

 Wanted to sleep 7 hours per night
 Managed to sleep 7.5 hours per night
 Felt refreshed and not groggy
 Gave him a lot of energy for night shift

M O’C Fall 2018

 Week 6 Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
(2/26) This week I chose to spend at least 2 hours in nature. I got coffee with my boyfriend on Friday and
spent approximately 30 minutes outside. On Tuesday I got dinner with my friend and helped her
study for an exam. I was outside for about 2 hours that time. In total I spent 2.5 hours in nature this
week.
Comments on Activity:
By spending time outside with my friends and boyfriend I was able to really focus on my
relationships with them and have a genuine time connecting. Once again my distractions were
minimized and I felt like by being outside I was able to better communicate with my friends.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

 Did 90 minutes of intense anaerobic activity this week
 Hard to manage working out and going to hospital for preceptorship
 In the future he will only work out on the days he is not working at the hospital

Week 7 Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

(3/11) This week I spent 2 hours in nature. I finished reading one of my favorite books on Monday while I
was outside on my patio. In total I was outside reading for about 2.5 hours. The rest of the week I was
Skippe not outside much due to my preceptorship.
d
3-4 due Comments on Activity:
to Overall, being outside this week was perfect in resetting my mind for the remaining of the semester.
Spring By being outside and reading I was able to clear my mind and prepare myself for the next two months
break. of nursing school.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

 Did mindfulness activities for 10-15 minutes every day
 Found it was best to do them when waking up or before bed
 Helped him fall asleep and relax

Week 8 Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

(3/18) For my last week I spent over 2 hours in nature again. On Wednesday I got coffee with my boyfriend
at a café by where I live. We were outside for about 45 minutes. Then on Sunday I decided to go to
the farmers market near my complex. We were outside at the market for about 1.5 hours. In total I
was outside for 2.25 hours this week.

Comments on Activity:
By forcing myself to go outside I was able to try something new this week by going to the farmer’s
market. I actually had a great time at the market so this experience made me realize that by forcing
myself outside I was able to experience something new.
Complete Survey Below
(Once Completed submit entire document to D2L Assignment Drop box by Due date and add to Your
Portfolio.)

Reflection on Panopto presentation and 8-week intervention:

What did these activities teach you?

M O’C Fall 2018

 These self-care activities taught me that a little goes a long way. Doing self-care doesn’t have to take
up a large chunk of time every week. Instead doing a little bit every day can prove to be very
beneficial and calming.

Have you noticed any changes in your life since you began this intervention?
The only change I have noticed since beginning is that I am a lot less stressed now. Since doing self-
care every week I have realized that I am not as stressed at home and I can actually relax now without
worrying about school work.

Will you do anything differently now? Please explain.

In the future I am going to consistently try and spend time outside for at least two hours a week. If I
don’t have time to do that then I am going to make sure I do something for myself at least once a
week. From this experience I learned how important it is to take care of yourself so that you do not
get burnt out.

Comments/suggestions:
I have no other comments or suggestions.

Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with these statements:
Following an evidence-based recommendation to reduce burnout was valuable to me.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
5 4 3 2 1

This 8-week intervention will help me implement preventative strategies for burnout in my career.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
5 4 3 2 1

M O’C Fall 2018