Olivia | Career counsellor

Olivia

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Businesses
• Sport & recreation
• Career counsellor
• Coach
• Health & wellness website
• Sport & fitness instruction

22.01.2022 Us nurses are great at taking care of others. Our jobs are often task focussed, and we can often become quite good at ticking off lists to provide that care. Am I right?! And that’s great in our workplace. In fact it’s essential! But when it comes to our wellbeing, writing lists and ticking off tasks isn’t really what it’s all about. We need to slow down and listen to ourselves. Sure it’s important to make sure you’re getting stuff done. And that can make you feel good and i...s important for your wellbeing too. But doing, isn’t necessarily more important than just being. Taking care of ourselves comes in all forms. And it’s absolutely as productive to sit and have a cup of tea and read a book for an hour, or catch up with a friend for a walk and talk, or say no to dinner out and get into bed early before a morning shift, as it is to get your grocery shopping done for the week, or vacuum the house. Self care is productive.

08.01.2022 How many nurses can honestly say they do this? Probably not many! But it’s the goal. And it does help with your wellbeing when you do. Bringing work home with you, talking about things endlessly, can seem helpful, like a debrief. But sometimes, it’s better to do that at work and just leave it there. Otherwise we often find ourselves reaching for other comforts while we debrief.. the wine, the food.. and we can end up feeling worse and it drags on. If you can work out a way t...o leave work at work, whether that’s taking 10mins to chat with someone as you walk to your car, or sitting in your car for 10 mins before switching it on, processing your shift, or not walking straight inside once you arrive at home, all these things will help. Better yet, chuck your gym gear in your work bag and head out for a walk or run straight from work when you can. Or put your gym clothes on and head home for a yoga session. Having a ritual that separates work from home will help maintain space. As far as your rosters go, only you can know how much you want to, are willing to, or are able to work. This will change from time to time. And you don’t need to justify this to anyone but yourself (and maybe your partner ). If you’re asked to do extras and it doesn’t suit, just say no. No is a complete sentence. It doesn’t require anything else. No explanation. Just a curteous, No I can’t is all you need to say. Working extras is sometimes great, but if it’s getting too much, look after you and pull back. Boundaries. We all need them for our own wellbeing, and putting them in place gets easier with practise

07.01.2022 One of the things I love about having my nursing degree is no one can take it away from me. I was lucky enough to get into uni despite having my appendix removed the week of my year 12 exams! But I think this made me appreciate my uni place just that bit more than I might have otherwise. I worked hard for my degree, completed it, and it’s mine, always. What I do with it is my choice, and that is always a work in progress. 20 years after starting I’m doing something vastly di...fferent to where I started. And I have done so many roles in between, ticking off heaps of my goals and dream jobs in the meantime. Where there’s a will there’s always a way! What are your nursing goals? Are you a new nurse with an exact plan in mind? Or have no idea where to start? Or are you an experienced nurse with a speciality already chosen, or looking to move elsewhere? I’d love to hear from you

06.01.2022 Worried about starting your Grad Year? Or just started and feeling a bit overwhelmed? Here are 5 things I wish someone had told me as a new grad. ~No one expects you to know everything! There’s a whole big team and lots of other resources for you to draw on when you’re unsure of things, so don’t be afraid to ask questions, or ask for help.... ~Listen to your instincts. Just because you’re a new grad, it doesn’t mean you don’t have great instincts. You know your patients well, so if something seems off, even if the ‘numbers’ are good, back yourself and watch more closely, and ask for a senior nurse or doctor to review. ~Take every opportunity you get! Don’t be afraid to do things just because you’ve never done them, or it was way back in 2nd year. Let your educator or charge nurse know your inexperienced and would like support, and go for it! I remember my first very sick burns patient in my grad year, I was terrified, and let my charge nurse know. She was so experienced, and let me know she’d be there right with me and she was. From then on I knew I could take our wards sickest patients. ~As well as clinical opportunities, always take learning opportunities. Write things down. Ask questions. Read. Discuss things with doctors and allied health. Chat with your patients about their experience of their illness. This is all valuable learning. ~Your wellbeing matters! Take time out to recharge, both at work and at home. At work, taking a little longer to wash your hands and taking some intentional deep breaths, or even going to the bathroom for a few minutes peace, even 10 seconds of refocusing between patients is helpful. At home, having hobbies you enjoy, spending time with people whose company you enjoy, and remembering boundaries are an important part of self care! Hope these tips help wherever you’re at in your new nursing journey Keep an eye out for my Grad Nurse mentoring course coming soon..