About Us

A Journal for Nurses to use when their brain is on Overtime!

This Journal is a labor of love that came from a couple of wretched events at work. I am an OB Nurse, so all of my examples are OB examples, but the theme carries between all areas of Nursing. 

Overtime Journal has daily pages to journal how your day is going. Did you get enough water? Sleep well before your shift? Steps (were you running all shift)? These things affect how your day goes. If you did not sleep, did not drink water, and moved non-stop, chances are high that your outlook of the shift is poor. Taking care of yourself will help change that. 

Next are things you are grateful for. Simple things are the best things.

After that are the good and the bad. List the things worth listing. 

End the daily page with how you unwind. 

Prompts. These are meant for the big feelings.

 Were you triggered? Did you have anxiety? Do you need a focus change on your fears? Do you need to change your view of the situation? What about a debrief?

"But, I can't journal those things...."

Overtime Journal is about YOU! How did the situation affect YOU, not the patient? EX. The patient is going to C/S. I hate c/s because now I am going to get a late lunch. I feel alone in the OR catching babies. I (maybe) feel that I could have done more or needed more time to help with the situation. 

 It has nothing to do with the pt, or telling their story. Is my issue a facility problem, or a grumpy Amy problem? Can I fix it with 5 min to eat and reset my brain? Or is there a big picture problem of not enough staff for support or breaks? Tension between units? Provider issues?