Keeping a Nursing Journal Has Many Benefits

While in nursing school you may be required to write a few “reflective” essays on how you are doing or how you felt about your first clinical, etc. The purpose of these essays is not just to add another assignment to your course load, but rather to have you pause and honestly look at your current state of being.

Not only do I think these assignments are wonderful while in nursing school, I would also encourage you to take it one step further and keep a journal. Journaling can have many benefits to you now and in your future.

One benefit of keeping a journal is that it is your honest opinion about what is going on in your life. You can vent in your journal about your relationships, school, work, etc. and get a better picture of what you may be going through. This may provide a “jumping off” point for you in which to work through some of these issues.

Having a journal is also a way to solidify what you have learned during nursing school. Write down when something “clicked” while you were taking care of a patient, or when you suddenly knew exactly what a teacher was talking about. Writing down important thoughts or phrases that you have encountered can also be very encouraging to you at a later date. Don’t be afraid to write down all of the positive feedback you have received. There will come a day when you will need this!

Journaling is also a wonderful way to keep track of your progress. If you were to look at your first entry for the first day of school and then again on the day of your graduation, I am positive you would see tremendous growth within yourself.

Writing in a journal is also a wonderful way to combat stress. Since we all know that stress is an almost continuous battle in nursing school, this can be a very valuable tool. At the end of a long shift at the hospital, try sitting down and writing down your thoughts before switching on the TV. I am convinced you will learn a lot about yourself!

As I mentioned before, journaling can also be beneficial to you in your future. Recently a professor of mine in graduate school read a page of her journal for the class. It was encouraging to realize that even very successful and well-known nurses in our society once stood in our shoes! Keeping a journal is a great keepsake of this period in your life and one you may wish to share with future generations.

Do you keep a journal? If so, how do you feel it has impacted your nursing education?