“You can maintain work-life balance even while pursuing careers.” Chanda Kochhar

 

Stress is an aspect of life we can’t by pass, and as nurses we get to shuffle between a life in the hospital and outside the hospital. However, stress can be managed well if certain factors are put into consideration.

– Are you an active clinical nurse, who has a passion for other things?
– Do you have a side hustle, while you practice nursing?
If yes, do you have struggles balancing your work and life?
Here are a few ideas on how a nurse can balance her nursing job and business to avoid stress and to improve health:

1. Have your day, or week planned out.
You should be able to define your work schedule; how much time do you spend at work? how much time do you have left after work? how much strength do you have left after work?
This decides the choice of business to delve in, and helps you to not worn out running between two jobs.
Your business do not necessarily have to be time consuming and draining as your present nursing job to prevent work overload and also ensure you do not lose your interest in your new found business.
Whatever your choice of business is, you should endeavor that you have a bucket of time left for you to enjoy your personal, family and social life.

2. Avoid contradictions as much as you can
I believe you must have seen few movies where a police officer is involved in theft, and fraudulent acts. Both jobs as it were are contradicting.
As much as nurses can follow their dreams, passion, become whatever they want, you should always drawn the line between yourself in your uniform, or hospital and outside.

“nursing is a noble profession” is a common saying. While you are outside the walls of the hospital, learn to portray attitudes that will promote nursing profession and stop stereotypes around you.

Whatever your business is, it is a good way to promote nursing in your own world.

3. Bring out the recreation in your job
Year 2020 has been declared the year of nurses and midwives, everyone wants to own a business, brand, make money, become popular, earn six figures before the end of this year. That is really a brilliant dream.

Take a deep breath
Breath in and out.
Now, read on!

It might be very difficult to enjoy the little things of life because you are running between 3 jobs, your 9 – 5 at the HMO, locum staff at a hospital near by, a back up singer during the weekend, and sometimes a model for brand.

Own every moment at work, and make it lucrative. Laugh when you need to. Have fun at work. Don’t just go to work without lighting up.

  • Watch a video on YouTube or Netflix when you are free
  • Read a suspense filled book
  • Video Call your friends when you are chanced
  • Gist with others
  • Sleep when there is a spare time

4. Be ready to take risk, and learn more
The reason why you doing something extra or having a side hustle is to make more money. It could take a long while before the profits starts getting large. Albeit, you can learn to make things happen even at the start.

Learn something new everyday about your side hustle or skill on new job.

– As a writer, learn about SEO, Google Ads, Copy writing
– Make up artist, do live videos on instagram, buy amazing products and do your personal make up often
– As a digital marketer, learn about human relationship, how Facebook algorithm works, how to run a facebook ads perfectly.

Whatever you want to do, or you are already doing, learn about it, and do it perfectly. Learn to save.

Open an account where you can save a certain percentage of your salary for a certain period for a purpose.

5. Understand human relationship
Your customers are very important, and they do help balance your nursing job and business. Depending on your jobs, you might have to interact with your clients outside the hospital in a way different from the way you attend to the patients at the hospital.

At all times, learn to satisfy your clients. Understand what each clients need.
A patient needs care, wants to be happy, wants to be well, so he/she can leave the hospital.
Your client at your MUA studio wants you to give her a classy look, she wants you to be fast as much as you can, she doesn’t want to hear stories
Your client on Upwork wants his story written under 3hours, not minding if you are tired or well.

On a final note, every human has the capacity to multitask, and also stretch. Which means you have the ability to do more than you are doing right now, you only need time to adapt to the new environment. However, your happiness, and mental health is important.

Written By Oluwanifemi Oloniyo

FNA Intern

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