vickywarren

Some of us are able to handle the various smells that come with the job, while others, especially those with an extreme gag reflex, need to find ways to cope while providing outstanding patient care. Here are twelve hacks to try next time your nose needs a break. Coffee BeansIs the nursing station smelling less than pleasant? Try placing a handful of ground coffee beans in a bowl or other container near the unpleasant smell and let the fragrant coffee aroma help dissipate the other odors. Ground coffee beans mimic charcoal and absorb unpleasant smells. Freshly ground beans work best, however, you could try used coffee beans from the coffee maker. It's a perfect way to recycle and reuse! Peppermint OilIf you know you will be heading into a situation where smells will be an issue, carry some peppermint oil with you. Place a couple drops on your face mask before putting it on. Be sure to breathe through your nose to help alleviate the smells. Lavender OilYou could also rub a tiny bit of lavender oil under your nose (be sure to mix it with a bit of carrier oil such as coconut, sweet almond or jojoba). Double Mask and Add ToothpasteHere's a handy trick. Take two masks, smear toothpaste in the second mask (the one that doesn't touch your face), and put them on to help with the smells. Not only will the double masking help form an extra barrier, the toothpaste acts as a second line of defense. Try minty flavors for maximum results! Isopropyl AlcoholFor those who get nauseous when dealing with unpleasant odors, be sure to carry alcohol with you. You likely carry it anyway, but a quick swipe of an alcohol pad under the nose will help take that icky feeling away. Don't leave the wipe in your mask though, you don't want to pass out! If you don't have an alcohol wipe, spray or pour some isopropyl alcohol on your palm and take a quick whiff. Toothpaste Your PalmsYou know that at times, even with the best handwashing, your hands are left with lingering odors. Carry a small tube of toothpaste with you, mint works best. Rub toothpaste between your palms, let it sit for about 3 minutes and then wash again with soap and water. Vick's or Any Type of Menthol RubAnother handy thing to carry as a nurse is Vick's, thankfully they have little tubs of it! If you find yourself needing more than your mask to help with odors, rub a little bit under your nose and let the menthyl aroma help your olfactory nerves out. MouthwashSimilar to ground coffee beans, mouthwash has a knack for absorbing unwanted odors in a room. All you need is a washcloth, kidney basin, and some mouthwash. Soak the washcloth in mouthwash and place the basin where you need the odors to dissipate and your golden! Kitty LitterWhile this won't work in a hospital or clinic, this one works for home care and hospice. Place a tray with kitty litter under the bed to help with unpleasant smells. Iodoform GauzeThis works well for "no scent facilities". Take the iodoform gauze out of the container and spread it out. If you can, try pinning it up like a streamer. The iodoform will absorb a lot of the smells. Melt in Your Mouth Breath FreshenersYou know the ones, the little tabs you place on your tongue and let melt. They have such a strong scent, they help mask the odors, and they cover up coffee breath as an added bonus! Breathe Through Your Mouth or Just Smell ItLast but not least is to simply breathe through your mouth. Some will have an easier time with that than others, but it can be learned. Another hack some teach is to simply take 3 or 4 big breaths of the smell to try to "train your nose" and it won't bother you. It's worth mentioning that even though some odors can be hard to handle, being able to identify certain smells help your clinical know how. For example, once you've smelled C-Diff, you'll never forget it. These are a few hacks you can try to help with the smells you encounter on your day to day as a nurse. Tell us, what do you do to help mask the smells?

Life has a funny way of changing our plans, doesn't it? You made it through nursing school, have a great nursing position, and care for others on a regular basis. Maybe you've even made plans to continue your education or move to a different type of nursing career. Then chronic illness took over, and your body is no longer tolerant of the long hours bedside nursing requires. What comes next? If you're like me, your bodies decision to leave you high and dry probably made you angry. However, once I got over the resentment and sadness, I got back up and did a ton of research. Through this research, I've not only found ways to stay in the healthcare field, make money without the strenuous hours, but I get to do it all from home! That's right; the jobs I'm going to cover in this article can all be done from home. If you target healthcare related subjects, these are excellent ways to continue using your nursing knowledge while working online. BloggingI began my online presence by starting a website/blog called Living the Diagnosis. I'll admit, I didn't do any research about professional blogging. I'd been keeping a family blog, so I thought "how much harder could it be?" It took me about six months of hard work on the website before I saw a profit. I'll tell you this; the money didn't come from ad's on the site (which is how I initially planned on monetizing it). It came in the form of sponsored posts. I became a member of the Chronic Illness Bloggers Network. Once I had enough traffic coming to the site, I was able to apply for sponsored posts from the network. There are many ways to make money from blogging including: affiliate marketingcoursesproducts/servicesI didn't do any of these on Living the Diagnosis because I discovered the next way to make money; freelance writing. The beauty of a blog is you can write about any subject you want, so the possibilities are literally endless. Freelance WritingLiving the Diagnosis is a medical story sharing site. People share their stories, and I edit them. After about six months, I realized that though I enjoy editing, writing is where my real passion is. One day, I came across a "Nurse Writer" and was instantly intrigued. Obviously, the words "nurse" and "writer" in the same title were exciting to me! I did some digging and started learning all I could about the art of freelance writing. One of the first things I realized was that almost all the lessons I'd learned in school and college about writing were not hard and fast rules when writing for the web. I learned how to find publications and companies to write for, how to figure out who may hire writers, and how to "pitch" my writing. Once I learned the basics of freelance writing, it was time to start marketing myself. One of the first things I realized was that I needed to find a "tribe" and fast. Freelancing is fun and all, but it does get lonely, even for introverts. Besides, you need to find someone who "gets" it! One of the "tribes" I found and am still very active in is the Healthcare Marketing Network. This is a group of healthcare writers and marketers from all disciplines who have come together to swap ideas, educate each other and just have fun! They also have a job board where you can find jobs! There are tons of writing "tribes" out there, so no matter what niche you pick, you're sure to find one that fits your needs. The beauty of freelance writing with chronic illness is you can choose as much or as little work to take on depending on your health. The downside is, as you know, you never know how you will feel, so sometimes it is hard to complete the work you take on. The best tip for that is to make sure you communicate with those you write for. A way to use your nursing knowledge while pursuing freelance writing is to make sure to apply for jobs that are in the healthcare niche. You can contact nurse bloggers and see if any of them need writing done (many will hire ghostwriters to help with blog posts), or ebooks or other types of blog content. There are many writing companies out there who write for major hospitals and love to hire nurses who like to write and have the knowledge and experience to write well. Social Media ManagementI kinda fell into social media management. When I began, one of the major challenges was learning to market the blog. A big part of that was social media. I used to joke that I spent 10% writing/editing my blog and 90% trying to market it so people could find what I just wrote. It's not far from the truth! I learned my way around all the major platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Instagram. As time went on, I'd chat with other bloggers and freelance writers and found out that the social media part of the biz was hard for them, they didn't like it, or it was just too time-consuming. Then I learned people are willing to pay others to help them with their social media! A great way to use your nursing knowledge in this field is by working with healthcare entrepreneurs. There are many nurse authors, entrepreneurs, and bloggers who likely need help with running their social media platforms. Over the past two years, I've been making money working from home, and I love it, but I know these methods aren't for everyone. If the things I've listed aren't your cup of tea, here are a few other ways you can work from home: editingproofreadinggraphic designEtsy Store (physical or digital products)virtual assistingThis is by no means an exhaustive list of ways to make money from home while using your nursing knowledge, but hopefully, gives you an idea of a few things you can do if your body isn't cooperating with your heart and mind. Do any of these sound like they would be a good fit for you? Let us know in the comments.

You had me when you began talking about the Wizard of Oz! It is one of my all time favorite shows and has so many hidden lessons! You are right about the Wizard being inside each of us! Good luck with the courses you plan to create, they are sure to help many future nurse leaders!

I am a freelance writer, VA and social media manager and I like to work with Nurse Entrepreneurs. Chronic illness took me out of bedside nursing, so I've been thankful to find these other ways of using my knowledge!

Shannon, Thank you for the link! Blog looks great! I followed you on Twitter and will be tweeting about your blog! Love it!

Hi! Have you got your blog started? I'd love to read it if you do!

Fantastic article! Thank You for sharing your journey with us!

Hi! My story is a little different. I joke saying I was a "nurse" for 30 seconds. It took me about a decade to get my degree, and then health problems (migraines and hyperemesis during pregnancy) pushed me out of bedside nursing. I decided I wanted to be involved in healthcare somehow, so I started a patient story sharing blog. From there I've gotten into freelance writing and social media managment. For me, it hasn't been quick, so I would definelty suggest getting started while still working, and work to make that side hustle profitable! If you have any questions, I'd love to chat with you, [email protected] or you can find me on Twitter @VickyWriting!