Nurse Jenny Morning Routine

Hello Everyone! 

Today, I am going to be sharing with you what I do in the morning before going to work. I know what you're gonna think... "Jenny, we don't care how you get ready in the morning" 

BUT! 

In my personal experience, how I get ready in the morning directly reflects how my day will go. In other words, how I prepare myself from the moment I wake up will be the decider whether I have a good or a not so good day. 

I know a lot of Nurses struggle with the early morning shifts (not me, I struggle with the night shifts!) and I just wanted to share with you some of the things that I find critical in starting the day the right way! 

Set the alarm.

First of all, I like to take my time in the morning and if that means I have to set my alarm just that little bit earlier, then so be it. My morning shift starts at 7:00 am and I set my alarm for 5:15 am every day. Sometimes I snooze the alarm a couple of times before finally getting up and when I’ve finally awoken all my sleepy cells, I take my shower and put on my scrubs.

Prep up! 

I always remember the saying “you shouldn’t look sicker than the patient” so even though we nurses are always busy and sometimes always in a hurry, we should still look healthy, presentable and pleasant every day. 

My make-up takes 5-7 minutes tops and here are my daily basics:

1. Moisturizer
2. SPF50+
3. Concealer
4. Face Powder
5. Bronzer
6. Blush on
7. Mascara

After putting on my make-up, I then do my hair. I made a blog about different Nursing Hairstyles for work that only takes three minutes or less. It’s a must-read!

After around 20 minutes, I’m off to my next stop.

Have a good breakfast.

I grew up with the saying that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" and I really do think it is. I usually drink my coffee and eat my high fiber cereals and honey with my Swedish Filmjolk. A Swedish Filmjolk is a traditional fermented milk product from Sweden which is filled with probiotics. It’s like yogurt but a bit more sour, and I love it.

While I eat my breakfast on the couch, I sit and relax and sometimes watch a little news and just take my time in the morning. For most Nurses there's no sitting down having a coffee and relaxing when you get to work. Nope. Once we set foot on the floor, it is game on straight away! And honestly, you never know when you'll get that lunch break so a good base in the morning is important.

After eating my breakfast, I go and prepare my lunch. 

Today I prepared my Banana, Celery and Hemp Protein Smoothie. I also packed my fruit, tuna and trail mix in my bag. 

Before finally heading out I grab my basic weapons for my shift -- Whiteboard marker, highlighter, three-colored pens, Paracetamol, Alcohol Wipes, Chapstick and Access Card!

By 6:15 am, I am out the door and in my car. I usually get to work at least 15 minutes early because I hate getting late, it stresses me out. When I was a new Nurse I even get to work about 45 minutes early just so that I could read my patients’ notes to know what I was working with and so that I could be better prepared. 

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And there you go! That’s my daily morning routine. I know we all have different practices so I want to know how long it takes for you to prepare in the morning before going to work and what’s your favorite go-to breakfast. Put them in the comments below because I love hearing from you guys.

You might also want to read my Nursing hacks: 

Nursing Hairstyles for Work in 3 Minutes or Less

What Nurses Bring Home From Work

See you on my next blog!

I hope you have a good shift and always remember, listen with your heart.

Nurse Jenny