Whether you’re working in oncology, home care, or as a school nurse, fueling your nursing engine is integral to ensuring you’re not running on empty. So, what does it mean to fuel your nursing engine? This is a metaphor, of course, and we can interpret it in many ways.
The Literal “Engine”
Your literal “nursing engine” is your body. How you fuel that engine requires thoughtful attention. Many nurses probably don’t get time for lunch, so snacking is most likely the way that calories are consumed throughout a shift.
When you snack at work, are you snacking on healthy foods you bring from home for that purpose, or do you pack unhealthy snacks that you know are cheap and filled with sugar to get you through the day? If you don’t bring snacks from home, do you just buy whatever is in the hospital gift shop, the local convenience store, or the vending machine?
Food isn’t just fuel. The quality of the food you eat says a lot about your level of self-care, and if you’re gorging on quick fixes like candy bars and high-carbohydrate snacks, you’re not doing yourself—or your brain—any favors. A sugar and caffeine jolt may have helpful short-term effects, but the long-term effects are less attractive, and your brain (and your ability to concentrate) will suffer the consequences.
with a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats (plus proper hydration) will get you through the day in a much more balanced way (without the highs and crashes of simple sugars on their own), so thoughtful attention in this area can really benefit you in the long and short term.
The Metaphoric “Engine”
Your metaphoric nursing engine is your spirit, or maybe you might call it “the nurse’s soul.” This part of you needs “feeding” with self-care, kindness, and compassion to be the best nurse (and person) you want to be.
Self-care, rest, exercise, relaxation, leisure, hydration, time with family, social life, spirituality, and creativity are all ways to feed your metaphoric engine.
When you’re rested, well-fed, hydrated, and have taken time for your well-being, your work will improve. When you’ve “fed” your creativity, spirituality, and needs for family, social connection, and wellness, your “engine” will run much more smoothly, and various aspects of your life will seem more manageable and satisfying.
Don’t Let It Backfire
Your engine’s backfiring may manifest in various ways. Physically, your health will suffer if you’re not caring well for yourself. You may experience frequent illness, susceptibility to infection, fatigue, frequent absenteeism from work, headaches, poor sleep, brain fog, and other symptoms.
Taking care of your spiritual and emotional well-being is essential. If you neglect this aspect of your life, you may face significant mental stress, compassion fatigue, burnout, irritability, challenges in your relationships, and a decline in life satisfaction and fulfillment in your nursing career. When your life feels out of balance, it usually is.
Feed It Well
Feeding your nursing engine isn’t just a choice—it’s a necessity. Whether we’re discussing nutrition, hydration, rest, leisure time, or work-life balance, this engine needs you to pay attention. When you don’t, you’ll soon run out of fuel, and your quality of life and work will suffer.
If you need help learning how to feed your engine, engage with a coach, nutritionist, therapist, or supportive colleague to help you get on track. Sometimes, we just need to change our perspective (or our ingrained habits) to turn things around. In this case, an accountability partner may help us maintain the healthy changes we’re trying to implement.
Feed your engine well, and your increasingly satisfying and balanced life will feed you in return.
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