NURS 478 Self Care Journal

Your Name: Lauren Sitler Your Buddy: Kayleigh Alegria

Select any evidence-based intervention/recommendation to follow (do this over 8 weeks):

 Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
 Practice mindfulness meditation for at least 10 minutes everyday
 Complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as biking under 9
mph, dancing, jogging, or playing tennis; or complete 60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week,
such as running, kickboxing, or jumping rope.
 Participate in two professionally led yoga classes for one hour or longer per week
 Spend up to 2 hrs in Nature or longer per week
 Other (Must get your Clinical Faculty approval first, and activity should be up to 2 hrs or longer
per week)

Complete Weekly journal entries:

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
1
This week, I ran up Pistol Hill, which is a steep hill located in Vail, Arizona. This hike took me about
45 minutes to complete. Next, I ran 3 miles on Monday afternoon, which took me about 30 minutes. I
also hiked/ran Tumamoc Hill on Sunday night with my husband which took about 45 minutes.
Comments on Activity:

This was the first week of implementing my intervention of exercise into my weekly routine. I’m going
to be honest; I am new to exercising. For the past couple of years, I have never made exercise, hiking, or
working out a priority. At the end of 2018 I trained for a relay marathon with all of my family and I
struggled running 5.5 miles. I made it my goal at the beginning of this year to get into shape. The above
interventions are small but deliberate changes that I am consciously trying to complete each week. This
past week was GREAT. I feel so motivated and proud of myself after completing an exercise. I am
ready for Week 2!
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
2
This week I ran up Tumamoc Hill again which totaled 45 minutes. I ran 3 miles 2 times this week. It
took me about 30 minutes each time.

Comments on Activity:

I felt great running up Tumamoc Hill this time! I was motivated and ready to conquer the hill. I ran both
up the hill and down it in record time! I also ran 3 miles spread out throughout the week. It was great
because the weather was cool and felt amazing. I’ve noticed that I do better running at the end of the
day rather than first thing in the morning.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

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 My buddy and I talked about how implementing these interventions are both new and challenging. We
are excited to begin to implement these exercises into our everyday lives.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

3 This week I hiked to Seven Falls with my husband. We did the entire 8.2 mile hike in under 3 hours!
When we made it to the waterfalls we sat down on the rocks and had a picnic. I also ran 3 miles at the
end of the week around my neighborhood.

Comments on Activity:
The hike was amazing! I haven’t done the Seven Falls hike in years. My husband and I don’t normally
do hikes, so this was a great bonding experience. There was so much water the entire hike up to the
waterfalls that we just walked through the water with our shoes on! I felt great during the hike but the
next few days following I felt very sore and my feet hurt. The three miles keep getting easier and easier,
especially with this wonderful weather.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

My buddy and I talked about how nice it is to have someone to do exercise with. It makes it more
enjoyable and also builds the relationship.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

4 This week I ran 3 times throughout the week on the Rillito River Trail near my apartment complex.
Each time was about 30-45 minutes.

Comments on Activity:
I really enjoy running on the Rillito River Trail because the area is safe and the scenery is great. The
trail that I run on is paved, which makes running pleasant. This week I was in a great mood and found
that I was incredibly productive because I forced myself to get out and run on 3 separate occasions.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

This week my buddy and I talked about how we are already halfway done with this project, and how
great it feels to have developed a routine and stick to our goal. It is becoming a part of our routine now
and it feels motivating.

M O’C Fall 2018

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
5 This week I ran up Tumamoc Hill (45 minutes) and ran 4 miles two times (45 minutes each).

Comments on Activity:
I ran on the Rillito River Path again, and also tried another new route near my neighborhood. Because
the weather is getting hotter, I ran early in the morning.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

This week my buddy and I discussed having to alter our exercises because the weather is getting hotter.
We also talked about how if you take a little bit of a break from your exercises, it can feel like you are
starting from the beginning the first day you go back.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

6 This week my apartment complex opened up a new fitness center! I went in 3 times this week and ran
and lifted weights for about 45 minutes each time.

Comments on Activity:
I loved working out in the new fitness center. The weather is starting to get pretty hot, and I don’t like
running outdoors when it is almost 90 degrees, so I am so excited that this fitness center opened up just
in time. I am able to do my cardio and muscle-strengthening exercises at the fitness center.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

This week my buddy and I talked about implementing a variety of locations/ exercises into our routine
in order to avoid repetition and the implementation becoming boring. I talked with my buddy about how
healthy and fit I felt this week. My buddy told me that she felt very in-tune with her body.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

7 This week I played tennis at my apartment complex’s tennis court with my husband. We played for
around 1 hour earlier in the week. I also ran around my neighborhood for about 1 hour total.

Comments on Activity:
The tennis date was so fun that I forgot that it was even exercise! It just felt like I was going on a fun
date with my spouse!

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

This week my buddy told me that she had to implement the intervention of mindfulness. I told my
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 buddy that I tried tennis with my spouse and how much fun it was. I think she might try it one day!

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

8 This week I worked out in the fitness center twice (1 hour each time) and also swam in our apartment’s
pool for about 30 minutes.

Comments on Activity:
I enjoyed working out in the fitness center. I didn’t get to do it last week and so I’m happy that I
focused on making the time for it this week. I’m enjoying looking up what new exercises I could be
doing.

Complete Survey Below

(Once Completed submit entire document to D2L Assignment Drop box by Due date and add to Your
Portfolio.)

Reflection on Panopto presentation and 8-week intervention:

What did these activities teach you?

These activities taught me to make working out, running, and spending time outdoors a priority in my
everyday life. They also taught me that exercise doesn’t have to be done alone. For example, I dragged
my spouse along with me to Tumamoc, Seven Falls, and to play tennis and it turned out to be both
exercise and a fun date!

Have you noticed any changes in your life since you began this intervention?

My mood improved significantly and my relationships improved. I was more productive and my self-
esteem felt higher. I also felt like I had my more energy during the day, and that I got better sleep at
night.

Will you do anything differently now? Please explain.

I don’t want this 8-week journey to just stop because this assignment ended. I will continue to make
exercise a priority in my life. I think I’ll start planning out time throughout my week to workout in my
agenda just like I do everything else in my life (assignments, events, deadlines). This will ensure that
I’ll accomplish my exercise goals. I also want to start signing up for more running events to encourage
me to keep running/training during the time before the events.

Comments/suggestions: N/A

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Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with these statements:
Following an evidence-based recommendation to reduce burnout was valuable to me.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
5 4 3 2 1

This 8-week intervention will help me implement preventative strategies for burnout in my career.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
5 4 3 2 1

This Panopto presentation titled: “Nurse Burnout: What this is and how you can minimize it in your careers”
effectively taught me how I can reduce and address nurse burnout in my career.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
5 4 3 2 1

Completing the Big Five Personality Test was helpful for exploring my risk of nurse burnout.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
1 2 3 4 5

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