3 ways blogging helps my sanity as a nurse

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I started blogging in August of 2013. At the same time, I started a nursing Twitter handle and Tumblr account. I did this because I loved talking “nurse,” but my family and friends who didn’t speak “nurse” were understandably getting pretty tired of me. I wanted to talk “nurse” with other nurses who loved it as much as I do. Here’s how I got started blogging…and why I keep it up today.

My interest in blogging was piqued when I found the nursing Tumblr account #WHATSHOULDWECALLNURSING and promptly read the entire thing in two hours, laughing so hard I was crying. My husband actually made me leave the room because I was laughing so loud, so frequently.

Finally, I had found someone who got it. They got what it’s like to be a nurse and communicated it in a hilarious and respectful way. That led me to check out other nursing accounts, nursing blogs, Pinterest accounts and Twitter handles.

I was not disappointed.

After checking all of that out, I felt like I had something to contribute to the conversation. I had similar experiences and felt I could add a little humor with some honesty about my nursing journey, and hopefully help the newbie nurses during that tough first year.

I started writing about my first code, my first nursing home experience, my first clinical experience, how I figured out how to quickly and efficiently assess a patient, and so forth. The response I got from others who were about to experience their first year, were going through it or had just finished it was more than I expected. A lot of people had similar feelings and were looking for resources to support them. It felt pretty great to be able to provide that.

I continued blogging and connecting with nurses and students all around the world via the Internet and really enjoyed the supportive and awesome community that I discovered. Here are three of the ways that blogging (and reading other blogs!) has helped keep me sane during my years as a nurse:

1. There are so many experienced nurses out there blogging, tweeting, posting and sharing very valuable information that you just can’t get in school. The community also provides support for nurses going through school, changing fields or just having a tough time.
2. So many people don’t really get what it’s like to be a nurse. It’s not the same getting support from someone who doesn’t understand what a busy day for a nurse really looks like and feels like, so I found this online nursing community so supportive and valuable.
3. We can get tunnel vision in our respective nursing units, getting used to our coworkers and their experiences and values. It’s refreshing to find someone in your specialty, across the country, that you can engage in educated and passionate dialogue with.

I want to encourage you to check out the online nursing community across various platforms (blogs, websites and social media) if you’re finding yourself wanting to connect with others who have had similar experiences or just need some support. You won’t be disappointed!

Learning how to be a great nurse at the bedside while maintaining your sanity at home is no easy task. Becoming Nursey: From Code Blues to Code Browns, How to Take Care of Your Patients and Yourself talks about how to realistically live as a nurse, both at home and at the bedside…with a little humor and some shenanigans along the way. Get ready: It’s about to get real, real nursey. You can get your own copy at at NurseEyeRoll.com (pdf), Amazon (paperback) or Goodreads (ebook).