No manicure required…

There are some unanticipated and perhaps unknown accommodations that have been made since becoming a full time nursing student:

1. Delays in doing laundry – who has time to ‘plan’ laundry days?
2. My hair style has become ultra simplistic – I like to call my new hairdo ‘born with a bun’ as I rarely take the time to straighten and style my hair. It was apparent to me one day when a classmate stated, “Wow, you look great, did you get your hair done?” I explained that I had simply gotten up earlier and felt like actually putting some effort into my hairstyle that day. Most days my new beauty routine includes a quick wash, dry and putting it into a bun.
3. On clinical days I avoid all traffic, not because of proximity to the hospital but leaving at 5:15-5:30 am allows me to quickly drive there before anyone else is awake – have to look at the positives!
4. Making the bed has fallen behind at least in the last 1.5 weeks due to multiple exams per week. In the past it just wasn’t something I could do to walk away from an unmade bed, however I’ve now had to lower my standards in order to gain more time in my mornings which equates to more sleep or more study pre-exam.
5. No manicure required…Since we learned of the increase in infections due to longer nails, nails that are not natural and nails that are polished it actually is very freeing not to feel like society will expect me to get a manicure. As a professor remarked, if you feel like you need polish then have a “party on your toes.”

I’m not sure what else I have changed that is due to my ‘nursing student’ status but I’m sure there are some more that I haven’t noticed and that is completely allowed.