Im not a nurse, but im considering it.(18 years old)
I know that in nursing school you only have time for studying because of the intense work load. But how does that change once you have a job?
I personally have a passion for drawing, and after not drawing for about 2 years, im slowly getting back into it and realizing how much I love it. A small percentage of me would want to go to art school, but it doesn't seem to offer much stability. I definitely want to have enough time to draw, perhaps do freelance work, take art classes, etc and basically still enjoy life. I wouldn't want my life to revolve around nursing, and i'd be broken hearted if I couldnt do art as much as I'd like to.
So...what do you guys like to do outside of work? How do you manage a work/personal life balance?
Oooh! I also enjoying making homemade spa goodies. Bath bombs, scalp massage oils, etc. I just made a Lavender-Coconut Oil Sea Salt body scrub and it is divine. It leaves my skin so soft, supple and glowy! The women in my family all age so well so I know I will too, but I enjoy taking great care of my skin and appearance.
Lots of great tips here. I'm getting ready to go to nursing school in September and have been a little worried lately about how my family is going to suffer when I don't have time for anything but school... So it's nice to see that so many people have been able to balance everything and still be successful. I don't have a lot of free time since I'm a mother of two little girls who are 3 years old and almost 1. Most of my spare time is spent taking care of my family. What I like to do in the free time that I do occasionally have depends on the time of year. If I'm indoors a lot, I crochet, read or play The Sims 4. If it's nice out or time to provide for the family (hunting, gardening, etc.) then I'm outdoors. I like to do a wide variety of things and I'm hoping that nursing school won't be so demanding that I have to completely give up everything for the next 2 years.
I hiked, camped, ran, knitted, hooped, Netflix binge watched, and worked (part time) through nursing school. Once I got out of clinical and did 2 care plans on the drive to a concert, got home at 2a and up again at 5a for the next day's clinical. I hiked at minimum one day a week 10+ miles. It was and is my top stress reliever. I haven't in months, which is one reason I'm so tightly wound over work issues at the moment. You can't study all the time. Even during my studying at home I made sure I got up and took breaks doing something I liked for a few minutes.
Now I do the same things, except running, have to get back into that. I also go to school part-time for my BSN.
Specializes in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgical.
I forgot to add crafting- knitting and sewing in particular. And taking a medical Spanish class. A more compressed schedule is the main reason I'm going back to the hospital- it was easier to get stuff done with 3 12s, instead of working 5-6 days/week.
I like to spend time with my friends, family, and boyfriend. I also LOVE the beach and have gone several times this summer. In the Fall, I'm a huge football fan, so spend a lot of time watching it or going to games. I also read every now and then...I work 3-4 days a week(has usually been 4 this summer for most weeks), but I try to group my days off together so I feel like I actually have time off.
I am starting grad school next week, so my free time will be more limited, but I also will only be doing 3 days. I won't be working overtime anymore. And I still plan to at least do something for myself every week. I know my hours of leisure will be cut back greatly, but I feel like it's important as a student and a person to take a mental time out at least some point on a regular basis.
I like to play pc games and enjoy a new form of teamwork in the esports world. Sometimes I read books and watch movies. When im bored doing all those I go outside and get some fresh air with some friends.
Play with dogs, shop, visit AN, and try NOT to read posts about "eerily cool deaths" because I find those topics offensive. No death is cool. Sometimes they free the spirit from a painful body, but it is never "cool". grrrrrr.....back to the regularly scheduled program....
Oh...I forgot- arm wrestle over the romote, wade in the pool, and feed the birds including hummers. :)
I want to travel around the US. I've been tropical. I've been to Florida a billion times(hey, I'm a NYer, we are almost required to go) I've done the whole Eastern seaboard, pretty much.
I've been to Hawaii, not Alaska.
I've been to Cali, don't like LA, like the rest of it.
You will have plenty extra time one you start working. Not even gonna lie, nursing school is hell. But since I've been working, I've had time for my gaming, gotten back into reading for my enjoyment, and can do pretty much everything I did before school.
2k15NurseExtern4u, BSN, RN
369 Posts
Oooh! I also enjoying making homemade spa goodies. Bath bombs, scalp massage oils, etc. I just made a Lavender-Coconut Oil Sea Salt body scrub and it is divine. It leaves my skin so soft, supple and glowy! The women in my family all age so well so I know I will too, but I enjoy taking great care of my skin and appearance.