Appendix B NURS 478 Wellness Journal

Your Name: Ashley Hobbs

Select an evidence-based recommendation to follow for 8 weeks:

o Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
o Practice mindfulness for at least 10 minutes everyday
o 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 aerobic exercise per week, such as running, kickboxing, or jumping rope
o Attend one professionally led yoga class for one hour or longer per week

Complete weekly journal entries:

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

The intervention that I chose to implement for the following 8 weeks is to sleep at least 7 hours
1
before/after work or a school day. During this week, I mainly tried to implement the recommendation
at least 2 times a week, on Saturday night and Sunday night, due to going in early for my
preceptorship.
Comments on activity:
During week one of implementing the recommendation to sleep for at least 7 hours each night, I
encountered a few difficulties in the implementation process. The most prominent difficulty I found
in trying to sleep for at least 7 hours was going to bed at an earlier time. I found this to be difficult
because I am accustomed to going to bed no earlier than 11 PM, especially on the weekends.
However, I did find that when I went to bed by 10 PM each night, I woke up refreshed and ready for
the day ahead.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
This week my goal was to sleep for at least 7 hours a night before going into my preceptorship. Also,
2 I continued to only attempt to implement this recommendation twice a week on Saturday and Sunday
nights before working the day shift the following morning.

Comments on activity:
During week two of implementing the recommendation, I was able to sleep for an average of 7 hours
on both Saturday and Sunday night. When reporting to my preceptorship on both Sunday morning
and Monday morning, I felt as though I was better able to manage and take on the tasks of the day,
while also being able to provide competent nursing care to the patients I was assigned. In addition, I
began to realize though that in order to go to bed earlier, I needed to make sure that all classwork
assignments were completed in advance so not as to deprive me of those needed hours of sleep.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
Week three happened to occur during spring break and as a result I traveled back home to spend
3 some time with family and friends. Although it was spring break, I continued to sleep at least 7 hours
per night, but this time I challenged myself to add an additional day making implementation of the
recommendation 3 times per week. The day I chose to add was Monday nights, because when I
returned to school the following week, I would resume going in early for my preceptorship on
Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday mornings.

Week 3 Comments on activity:
During week three, the recommendation of sleeping for at least 7 hours was beginning to become
routine. I didnt have to continuously monitor that I was going to sleep by at least 10 PM each
night to ensure that I received a full 7 hours of sleep. It felt to me that it almost become automatic
as my body adjusted to going to bed at an earlier time. Also, during this week I also began to
recognize that I was not as tired as went throughout the activities of the day.

Week 4 Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
I continued to utilize the intervention of sleeping at least 7 hours before and after each work day,
three times a week. On Saturday night, Sunday night, and Monday night I ensured myself that I
went to bed by 10 PM each night. By going to bed by 10 PM each night, I was able to make sure
that I could receive 7 hours of sleep because I had to wake up at 5 AM to go in for my
preceptorship in the morning.
Comments on activity:
The fourth week of my preceptorship also occurred on week four of implementing this
intervention. By this week, I found it no longer challenging for myself to get to bed on time, and
specifically on Monday night, I would find myself in bed by 9:30 PM. I think that making sure I
received at least 7 hours of sleep helped to prepare me to better handle the challenges that
occurred the next day including trying to get in contact with a physician regarding a patients
declining health status and working to manage another patients pain by placing them on a
scheduled dosing regimen. With these challenges, I didnt find myself getting as frustrated or
irritated with them, as I was well-rested and realized that I was not as stressed in these situations.

Week 5 Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
This week the intervention involved adding another day to the recommendation of getting at least
7 hours of sleep before/after a work or school day. This week I challenged myself to get at least 7
hours of sleep by going to bed by 10 PM on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights. The
addition of trying to achieve 7 hours of sleep on Tuesday night was to help me prepare for class
on Wednesday morning.

Comments on activity:
During week five, I started to realize that I was more responsive, not only during my
preceptorship, but also during class. When I was able to receive at least 7 hours of sleep before
attending class on Wednesday morning, I was more attentive to the speaker and more engaged in
taking additional notes on the previously provided lecture slides. Also, as this was my last week
of my preceptorship, I felt better prepared and less stressed to take on the responsibilities of
handling the care of five patients.

Week 6 Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
Due to my preceptorship ending on April 1st, I decided to focus on achieving at least 7 hours of
sleep during the week, particularly twice a week, on Tuesday night and Wednesday night, both
before and following in-class lecture. This week I continued to try and go to bed before 10 PM,
but allowed myself to sleep until 6 AM which allowed me to 8 hours of sleep.
Comments on activity:
During week six, I noticed that it was difficult for myself to stay up past 10 PM, although I only
had to attend class once a week. Furthermore, I started to realize that I enjoyed going to bed at a
decent hour because it allowed me the opportunity to wake up earlier and have ample time to
make myself breakfast before starting my day. Also, getting at least 7 hours of sleep when
attending class the next day reduced my grogginess I often experience throughout the day.

Week 7 Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
This week I continued to implement the intervention of continuing to achieve at least 7 hours of
sleep before and after attending class on Wednesday. This involved going to bed before 10 PM on
Tuesday night and Wednesday night. Also, I continued to sleep until the time of 6 AM.

Week 7 Comments on activity:

During week seven, I continued to experience the effects that sleeping an adequate amount has not
only on my mental well-being, but also my physical well-being. Ensuring that I received at least 7
hours of sleep before and after a school day allowed me to have a greater amount of energy to
complete tasks throughout the day. This included having the energy to exercise, clean my
apartment, and complete schoolwork, such as readings and assignments. By being adequately
rested, I felt a significant improvement in my overall sense of mental, physical, and emotional
well-being.

Week Reflection on Panopto presentation and 8-week intervention:
8
What did these activities teach you?
Participating in the 8-week implementation of an intervention aimed at reducing nurse burnout was
significantly valuable to me. The gradual incorporation of sleeping for at least 7 hours before/after
going in for my preceptorship allowed me to better address the needs of patients and provide a
higher quality of nursing care to those individuals. In addition, by incorporating this intervention
before and after attending class, I felt as though I was more rested, able to focus better in class, and
more engaged in the conversation during class. Overall, participating in this activity has allowed
me to gain more knowledge and insight into the importance of taking care of myself and how
taking care of myself impacts the care I provide to patients.

Have you noticed any changes in your life since you began this intervention?
I have noticed several changes in my life since I began implementing this intervention. One of the
most prevalent changes I have seen in my life since I began to get at least 7 hours of sleep both
before and after going to work or attending class is that I often feel less stressed. Additionally, I
have noticed that by going to bed earlier and being allowed to sleep for an adequate number of
hours, I am able to focus better during class and overall I feel happier. Also, other changes Ive
noticed in my life since participating in this intervention include having more energy to exercise,
such as going hiking or walking around my neighborhood, and cook meals at home.

Will you do anything differently now? Please explain.

After participating in this activity, I will do some things differently now. I think that the most
prominent lesson I learned from this activity was the importance of taking care of myself can help
to improve the care I provide to others. Furthermore, I have realized that always trying to achieve
an adequate amount of sleep significantly impacts my focus to take on the challenges I may face
during a shift. Also, I have also realized that I would like to seek employment at an organization
that offers a new graduate nursing program because it can help to ease the transition of nursing
student to professional nurse.

Comments/suggestions:
One comment I would like to make would be being able to participate/trial in two of the listed
activities. For example, participating in one intervention for 4 weeks and trying another for the
remaining 4 weeks. This would be something I recommend because I also would have like to
participate in an exercise or yoga class, as well as, ensuring I sleep at least 7 hours. It would be
interesting to me to compare the effects of participating in two interventions.
 Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with these statements:
Following an evidence-based recommendation to reduce burnout was valuable to me.
Strongly Strongly
Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Disagree

1 2 3 4 5

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

1 2 3 4 5

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 Strongly
Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Disagree

1 2 3 4 5

Completing the Big Five Personality Test was helpful for exploring my risk for nurse
burnout.
Strongly Strongly
Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Disagree

1 2 3 4 5