Working in hot conditions can feel like a nightmare for nurses in the summer. It doesn’t even have to be hot outside. Older patients might require a warmer temperature inside hospitals and clinics, including dialysis centers. Plus, it doesn’t help if we’re constantly moving or if some of us run naturally warm.
We can help ourselves sweat less and be more comfortable at work by cooling down in dangerous temperatures. Read on for some tips.
Wear Moisture-resistant Clothing
If you’re hot-natured, then you probably already know that some scrubs make you sweat more. Consider wearing light clothing that wicks sweat and dries fast. Nurses have sworn by Carhartt Force Cross Flex with knit panels to help them keep cool, and Butter-Soft scrubs work, too.
What type of shoes and socks you wear also matters. Wear breathable shoes and athletic socks to avoid excessive sweat. Compression socks also help with circulation and blood flow to the feet in hot weather, but some people have complained that the material can make us hotter. In this case, find sheer fabrics that aren’t too thick for comfort, like microfiber.
Invest in a Personal Fan
Necklace fans can also be worn underneath a gown or shirt for an extra breeze on your body. You can buy onehere or search for one on Amazon. They’re also under $20, so they’re affordable and reusable.
Use Reusable Ice Packs
Ice packs around the body can also help out before intensive shifts. Apply them on crucial body points where the veins are closer to the surface, like the wrists, neck, chest, and temples.
Here’s another tip that doesn’t require spending anything: Take a plastic glove, put ice in it, and tie a knot at the end. This makeshift ice pack can be put inside your bra (or pockets) to keep you from overheating.
Drink Plenty of Water
This one might sound obvious, but forgetting to drink water when we’re too busy is easy. Dehydration can increase our body heat, so drinking water when thirsty is essential to regulate ourselves. Keep a bottle of water handy to grab it when you feel overheated.
Cool liquids are best since they reduce our body temperature, so avoid hot coffee or tea during hot hours.
If You Have to, Work in Other Cooler areas
Places with older patients, such as nursing homes, can experience temperatures between 71 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit, making hot days unbearable.
You might love where you work, so this wouldn’t be an option, but in the future, you can move to other units with colder temperatures. nursing homes for the convenience of surgeons and their staff, so this can be a great choice for people who run cold (or want a job change).
Keep a Bag of Cooling Must-haves Ready
On heatwave days when we don’t have time to stop and rest often, it’s helpful to have a bag of cooling items ready in your locker in case you’re extra sweaty. Some of these items can include a brand of body deodorant that prevents gross armpit sweat, cooling towels, and ice packs. Be creative and see what else you need to prevent burnout.
These are only a few tips out of many, so try asking other nurses how they manage hot temperatures while working. You can also search nursing forums to find out how other nurses keep themselves cooled off.
On the job, nurses are compassionate and focused during stressful work conditions. However, this kind of work can drain nurses’ emotional energy to care for themselves and put them at risk for burnout and compassion fatigue, according to an article by the Holistic Nursing Practice. During times like these, it’s easy to forget about creative pursuits, like art.
Engaging in art can actually make us happier and calmer. At the University of New Mexico (UNM) Hospital, nurses at work participated in the UNM’s Arts-In-Medicine program to practice creative activities such as poetry reading and creating paper flowers and gift cards for positive wellbeing. As a result, more nurses felt relaxed, peaceful, and ready to complete their assignments.
Although we can’t always make paper flowers at work, engaging in art can significantly release negative emotions and feel more centered.
How Creating Art Helps Mental Health
Art is a great way to decrease stress. Studies have shown that engaging in art decreases cortisol and leads to better memory, resilience, and self-esteem. Other benefits of art-making include healing from trauma and expressing creativity on a deeper level, which can decrease anxiety and depression.
Many people from different fields, including nurses, have found art to be a way to cope with difficult times and use it as a relaxation method. Art that involves different uses of the senses also helps with emotional regulation.
In UNM’s arts-in-medicine program, hospital nurses who participated in art workshops like clay making, guided art walks, and other immersive experiences “learned to relax” and had greater self-awareness by paying attention to the shapes, colors, sounds, and textures of what they were making.
What Types of Art to Do
When we think of art, we might imagine painting a large canvas and getting intimidated in the process. However, art can also mean buying an adult coloring book with some markers or taking pictures of nature scenes on your phone. Our practice can be whatever we feel comfortable doing.
Painting isn’t the only form of art; other types of art we can explore include:
Doodling, coloring, or scribbling
Writing or journaling
Sculpting (e.g., clay making)
Scrapbooking
Needlework crafts
Jewelry making
Dancing
Photography
It’s better to make the practice as low-stress as possible so that you’ll continue with it over time. If you find it hard to start an activity, think about what type of creative pursuit you’ve always wanted to try. Is it making an art college online or designing a vision board using magazine clippings?
Remember, you don’t have to frame your art when you’re done creating it. This can be for your eyes only.
You can also buy a drawing prompt book to give you ideas for your creation. For those who want to try painting, you can find paint-by-number kits at your local craft store or online at mass-market retailers.
Using Art as a Tool for Self-care
Some art exercises are based on art therapy, which can help release lingering stress. Using art is also a unique way to get in touch with how you’re feeling. For example, drawing whatever comes to mind without making the lines look nice can help deal with perfectionism or a lack of control in life.
It’s important to note that if you want to try activities similar to art therapy, it’s best to find a certified art therapist to support you as you experience challenging emotions.
Many forms of art use therapeutic ways of relaxing, so consider the following art therapy-based ideas to help you become more expressive:
Use colors that calm you. What are some colors that calm you? Finding tones that help soothe you can be an easy way to feel more at peace.
Make a collage related to a quote you like. Maybe you have a quote you’d like to remember more when feeling anxious. Recreate aspects of the quote visually and turn the words into your inspiration. To create your collage, use stickers, newspaper clippings, paint, or other design elements to make the college stand out.
Or, collage your joy. If the last idea sounds too hard, consider what brings you joy (your pet, family, plants, etc). Then, find aspects of those things for gratitude the next time you feel lost.
Create a happiness jar. A jar is filled with moments of happiness, memories, or motivation for the future. This could be a good idea if gratitude doesn’t come easy. All you need is a jar, some scraps of paper, and a pen or pencil to write down your moments of joy.
Draw a place where you feel safe. Draw or paint a safe, peaceful, real, or imaginative place. Consider doing this practice and discussing how it felt with a trusted professional, such as a therapist.
When we’re busy in our careers, it’s easy to forget that we deserve to have fun and let loose once in a while. Picking up a brush or coloring pencil can be a great way to feel like a child again and discover our creativity.
Everyone needs community, especially queer nurses. In the U.S., approximately 5.5 percent of adults identify as part of the LGBT population— that’s 13.9 million Americans who are queer.
Finding a safe space with other nurses can be challenging if you discover that you don’t share the same interests or beliefs. Even though the LGBTQ+ population is growing among younger generations, queer nurses at work may not have an outlet to express their true selves if they find out that their workplace is less accepting than other progressive workspaces.
Thankfully, there are organizations and places where queer nurses can network and connect. Read on to see how these resources can apply to your nursing journey.
This is a community of queer nurses and healthcare professionals on Facebook who discuss topics related to the LBGTQIA+ community. Their goal is to “strive for community and address the intersectionality of our professional lives, medical/healthcare delivery system, and LBGTQIA+ identity.”
LBGTQIA+ nursing students, healthcare professionals, and allies can join their Facebook group. Conversations about LBGTQ care and how to improve the system are welcome, and the group shares practical advice on nursing, networking, and anecdotes from their personal experience in the field. If you’re looking for a safe space to vent or find peer support, this could be the community for you.
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality is the world’s oldest organization enhancing health equity for the queer population. They exist to advance LGBTQ health issues within the health profession and support queer healthcare professionals in their work and learning environments.
As a member of their organization, you can join GLMA committees, sections, and task forces to improve LBGTQ health equality and meet more queer health professionals through virtual and in-person networking events, like their annual conference on LGBTQ+ health. Their memberships can be expensive, but if you make less than $75,000 a year, you can sign up for their equity membership for $25 annually.
However, you can still access many resources and career opportunities as a non-member. Their mailing list is free, and they have webinars to join on specific queer topics. GLMA Nursing, a smaller group part of GLMA, is a great option for finding nursing resources and meeting other nurses through their email lists.
If you’re an older queer nurse, consider becoming active with SAGE, a national advocacy and services organization advocating for LGBTQ+ elders since 1978.
SAGE has several events and opportunities for anyone to volunteer and join their advocacy community. You can become a part of their “Action Squad” to be emailed news affecting LGBTQ+ elders and steps to take action in your local community. The organization also has community events in California, Florida, and other locations nationwide. New York residents can also volunteer at the SAGEServes center in New York City, where programs and services are offered for older queer elders.
Although this isn’t a medical or nursing organization, you can still find ways to connect with other queer professionals who understand the importance of LBGTQ inclusion.
Finding In-Person LGBTQ+ events
Online resources to connect with queer nurses are great, but let’s say that you want to get out and meet people in person. If so, here are a couple of tips for you:
Look for Gatherings in Bigger Cities
Smaller towns might have queer nurses or medical professionals nearby, but if not, then look for any meetings in bigger, metropolitan areas. For example, the LBGTQ+ Center of Southern Nevada, or The Center, serves as a community center with health and social services for families, elders, and the Las Vegas area. Along with HIV tests and youth events, they also have peer groups and recurring group sessions, like The L Group for lesbian women and the Gay Men’s Forum.
Larger cities also have LBGTQ+-led events or festivals that you can visit. It might take a long drive to get to a queer-focused meeting, but making new connections outside of your home can be worth it.
Expand Your Reach Outside of Nursing
It’s possible you might not connect with any queer nurses in your workplace, but what about caretakers at the nearby nursing home? The medical community is broad and in every corner of the U.S., so this can include people who aren’t in a traditional hospital or clinical nurse setting, like case managers at a counseling center or midwives who work from home. This can be especially helpful for those who live in smaller, rural areas.
Going back to the previous tip, attending different LBGTQ+ events can help you connect with other queer folk that may work at the same place as you. You never know— maybe through new connections, you can meet with another queer nurse who shares the same experiences as you.
Either through volunteering at an LBGTQ+ festival, sharing design work at a queer-led art workshop, or listening in on a conversation at an LBGTQ peer support group, there are several ways to meet with people who share your identity. You don’t have to feel alone— millions of nurses and queer healthcare professionals know how you feel and want to reach out.
This National Nurses Week, learn more about Mary Eliza Mahoney, America’s first professionally-trained Black nurse whose birthday lies on May 7, the second day of National Nurses Week.
Mahoney’s journey to becoming a nurse in the 1800s was full of setbacks she couldn’t control, yet she persevered to create a decades-long career as a nurse known for compassion and bringing comfort to others.
However, her story doesn’t end there—she later became a well-known leader in the nursing field, co-founding the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) in 1908 and supporting the women’s suffrage movement before it became popular. She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993 for her contributions to breaking racial barriers in nursing.
Today, Mahoney inspires Black nurses and other nurses of color who relate to her struggles in a world where breaking the mold is never easy.
From Nurse Aide to Nursing Graduate
Born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, on May 7, 1845, Mary Eliza Mahoney knew at a young age that she wanted to be a nurse. She started her career at the New England Hospital for Women and Children at the age of 20. The hospital was progressive in its time, including an all-women staff of physicians, and provided healthcare to only women and their children. Mahoney first worked as a nurse aide among licensed nurses, but her wages were too low, so she worked in various roles, including washerwoman, janitor, and cook.
After 15 years of domestic service duties, Mahoney was offered a spot at the hospital’s prestigious graduate school in 1878, assisted by a doctor who believed in her potential.
The graduate school’s program was intensive, consisting of 16-hour days learning how to prep and complete ward duty, overseeing up to six patients. The program was so intensive that out of the 42 accepted students, only four remained, including Mahoney. However, Mahoney’s hard work ethic and experience in nursing paid off. After 16 months in the program, she graduated with her nursing diploma, making her the first professionally trained Black nurse at the time.
Mahoney’s Legacy to Nurses
For the next four decades, Mahoney worked as a private nurse to wealthy white families in the Boston area due to discrimination against Black women in hospitals and other professional settings. Mothers and families who worked with her admired her professionalism and work ethic, and she received requests across the Northeast to work with other wealthy families. Over time, Mahoney grew fond of her work, referring to her clients as family.
Mahoney knew that her work would set an example for minority nurses who could work in fields outside of domestic service. As a result, she raised the bar for more Black women to find careers in nursing and similar professions.
In her later years, Mahoney was a vocal advocate for all nurses, including nurses of color. From 1911 to 1912, she was the director of the Howard Colored Orphan Asylum for Black children in Long Island, New York. As a leader in the NACGN, she was already known as a pioneer in nursing. She gave the welcoming address at the NACGN Convention in 1908 and was made an honorary lifetime member and elected chaplain in 1909.
In 1923, Mahoney was diagnosed with breast cancer and died on January 4, 1926, at the age of 80. To remember her legacy, the NACGN created the Mary Mahoney Award in 1936 for any nurse who made a lasting contribution to social justice within their field. This award is still being given today by the American Nurses Association (ANA) after the NACGN merged with the organization.
Mahoney’s legacy shows the values many minority nurses bring to the field. Her efforts to build organizations that highlight the accomplishments of minority women teach what every nurse of color can offer to patients today.
Learn more about Mary Eliza Mahoney
If you want to learn more about this nursing pioneer, here are some resources for a deeper look at her past and significance to nursing:
BlackPast is an online encyclopedia providing information on Black history internationally, especially in North America. Read Mary Eliza Mahoney’s biography and learn more about the history of Black nurses in the U.S.
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) wrote an article on the impact of Mahoney’s work on diversity, equity, and inclusion in nursing.
As part of the ANA’s Journey of Racial Reconciliation series, the organization will host a webinar on Mahoney’s birthday with diverse nursing leaders on how nurses can draw inspiration from her impact on the field.
Nurses need a supportive community to thrive in their field, especially nurses of color, mainly because of a lack of Black representation in the field. Caucasian nurses make up around 80% of the total nursing workforce, but Black nurses only comprise 6% of total registered nurses.
However, nurses are influential in advocating for minority communities and reducing healthcare disparities around the world. These same nurses are also ones who may still face racism at the workplace or struggle to find a sense of belonging with other nurses who share the same struggles, but that’s where these organizations can come in.
Joining a Black nursing organization or attending an event focused on diversity and celebration for Black nursing can foster community and engagement. Plus, these organizations also bring a level of professionalism to your career.
If this sounds promising, then these resources could be for you. Learn some of the most active Black nursing events and organizations today.
Black Nurses Rock is one of the largest minority nursing organizations in the country, representing nurses across the world with over 174,000 nurses and nurse students from the USA, Canada, the Eastern Caribbean, Japan, and Germany.
The organization also has an active online community on social media. Nurses who want to learn more or start with a nursing organization can join their closed Facebook group, a popular forum that shares advice and stories from nurses across the county.
If you’re a student, one of the benefits of becoming a member of Black Nurses Rock is that you can apply for scholarships, awards, and discounts on university tuition. There are also local chapters in over 25 states so that nurses can get connected and network.
Founded in 1971, the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) is one of the oldest nursing organizations, with over 200,000 members. They focus on ensuring their members have equal access to healthcare opportunities, education, and professional growth.
They have different membership levels for registered nurses, licensed nurse practitioners, and students, with benefits such as association partnerships with other federal and national organizations and speaking engagements at national conferences.
Members can also attend their annual summer conference to see exhibitors for employment opportunities and attend sessions with prominent speakers on diabetes, breast cancer, women’s health, cardiovascular health, and more.
Look at their chapter directory to see if there’s a chapter near you.
The National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations (NCEMNA) is a nonprofit made up of the largest five-member organizations for nurses:
The NBNA
The Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA)
Asian American/Pacific Islander Nurses Association (AAPINA)
The National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association (NANAINA)
Its goal is to create a unified community with other nurses of color for more culturally appropriate health care and to foster alliances with other professional organizations.
Individual nurses cannot apply, but if you’re a member of any of the five member organizations, you can access NCEMNA’s resources through their sign-up page. NCEMNA is active in health equity and policy advocacy, and its annual conference centers around public policy solutions and speakers with experience in social justice and health disparities among the BIPOC community.
From July 26 to August 1, Black Nurses Week is a conference dedicated to uplifting the Black nursing community professionally and personally. Black Nurses Week was founded by Tauquilla Manning, a nurse travel leader who saw a need for an event like this after being told at work that her natural hairstyle was unprofessional.
Since 2022, the nationwide event has focused on business, health, and wealth, putting Black nurses at the center as they learn from nurse leaders on topics such as entrepreneurship, financial wellness, and healthcare. This year’s Black Nurses Week will be held in Washington, D.C., allowing attendees to attend sessions with nurse leaders, earn continuing education credits, and meet fellow nurses through daily breakfast and coffee breaks.
Black Nurses Meet is an online community and website for Black nurses to find resources and advice to help their careers. Black travel nurses especially can find this community helpful for sharing healthcare-related tips and advice online.
Their memberships are cost-friendly, with their lowest tier at only $25 for nurses and nurse influencers who want to build their content. For nurses who don’t like to spend money, their Instagram account offers tips on burnout and career motivation for Black nurses.
Although Black Nurses Meet is primarily active on social media, they also have in-person events such as their yearly gala designed for the professional community and their travel group trips with other Black nurses.
