Academia

Categories: Academia, Faith, Fashion, Fitness

Summer/Fall 2024 Catch – up!

Hello! Let’s catch up since my last post. The summer seemed to fly by. It was filled with time with family, work, and sports.

Here are some highlights in the areas of faith, fitness, fashion, and academia.

Faith

There is so much I can say in this category, but I will limit it to saying I am spending more time with God and working to filter all of my thoughts and actions through him. I have created a better routine with having my devotion in the morning before my family wakes up, and I have been praying more throughout the day. I have also started writing scriptures in my planner and seeking guidance from God about my to do lists. I put them before him and whatever I do not accomplish, I try not to feel bad about it.

Fitness

My fitness routine was up and down over the past couple of months. I am proud to say that I did lose 10 lbs. Woop! Woop! However, I am not at my goal weight or physique. I started the 75 hard challenge on Monday with some modifications. If you are not familiar with it, you can do a quick Google search. There is tons of information out there. I like both fiction and non-fiction books, so as long as I am reading, I am counting it. I haven’t settled on a diet, but I am leaning towards a higher protein, more fruits and veggies type of diet. So far, I’ve done well with getting in the 90 minutes of exercise. Some days I do more outdoor than indoor. Again, I am fine with this. I am getting my water in. I am not to a gallon a day yet, but I will get there. You have to give your body time to adjust to changes. Finally, I am taking the progress photos. I think I saw somewhere you are supposed to take them daily. I can’t remember. If I take them weekly, I feel like that should count. As you can see, I am doing the challenge, but I am also being realistic with my body and what works for me.

Fashion

My fashion is still a work in progress! I am trying not to buy too many pieces until I reach my fitness goals. I am trying to be more budget friendly and conscious of the clothing I buy. However, my hair has grown since my photo from August 2023. I am proud of that progress. My nails are becoming stronger. I’ve been using the Keratin 3 day Growth by Nail-aid, and it works. I just need to stop nervously picking at my hands and biting them.

Academia

This year I will submit my 5th year tenure packet. Another woop! woop! My packet is due October 1. This year I am trying to pace myself and not overwhelm myself with the process. I have been saving documents along the way to support my dossier. I just need to make sure I take the time to create the required items and everything in its appropriate place. My teaching scores have been great! I have been productive in my research; however, I can definitely see where I can do better. My service has been on point as well. I remember saying in one of my earlier posts that my words for the year were wisdom and authenticity, and I’ve been guided by those this academic year. I have still made mistakes, but I am not allowing myself to be stuck too long. For more details on academia or if you are needing academic support, please check out fromanurse2anurse.com.

Other

I have some other great things that have been happening, but they do not fit within the other categories. I mentioned earlier how I need to stop picking at my hands when I am nervous. I picked back up my childhood hobby of crocheting. I have been using it as my go to when I have that feeling of nervousness. My goal is to make afghans for my family members.

I have also been gardening. When you see my photos below, I need you to keep your commentary to a minimum. Lol! I am proud of the progress I have made with my garden. My kiddos and I built the raised garden beds. I started out with collards and lettuce. In the other, I had strawberries, tomatoes, and bell peppers. I planted some flowers and herbs from seed hoping they would grow in time to deter pests. I tried to plant pollinator flowers too. I planted Zinnias, Basil, from seed. I also planted marigold plants from Lowes. I had some petunias in pots around my raised beds. Oh, I also bought a blackberry plant. See how we started below!

The strawberries, peppers, lettuce, collards, blackberries did not do well. I removed the strawberries, lettuce, collards, and blackberry plant. I added pollinator plants instead to the bin that contained the collards and lettuce. I filled them with lantanas and marigolds but then moved the marigolds to their own pot. I am still learning all I can about zones, watering, etc. I know that I live in zone 8b. I am also learning more about different pollinator plants that are native to my state. I bought my vegetables and fruits as plants from Lowes and Walmart. I do not think I will do that again. I also bought my lantanas and marigolds from Lowes. I think I will grow my vegetables from seed the next time. The zinnias and basil that I initially planted are now doing well. The tomatoes are still trying to hang in there. I do not know what to say about those petunias.

Check out the pictures below to see an updated view of the garden. I separated the zinnias into their own planter. Now the marigolds, lantanas, zinnias, and petunias are all in their own planters. I read somewhere that lantanas can impact other plants.

That’s it for now! Chat soon!

Categories: Academia, Faith, Fashion, Fitness

The Latest and the Greatest

Oh my gosh! It has been an entire year since I have posted to my blog. I have posted recently to my IG account, but overall, my writing has significantly decreased. Life has been lifing. I know you what I mean when I say that. However, at the end of the day, life is still good. I cannot complain. We are going to pick up where we left off.

First, on IG I posted about my words for the year. They are wisdom and authenticity. For me, it is not a “me” thing anymore. It is a spiritual thing. I have this innate feeling that I am meant for more. My life has transitioned more to one of purpose, and I know that in order to achieve that purpose has to be ground in being my authentic self and making decisions based on wisdom. I am still human, so at the end of the day, I still have my many days of procrastination, sadness, overwhelm, etc. However, I am choosing to react to those kind of days in a more proactive way or better yet in more of a God led way.

So, my latest includes:

1) reading my Bible and talking to the Lord daily

2) praying more often throughout the day

3) pushing myself physically in a good way through exercise

4) trusting myself more in my decision making

5) being appreciative of the season that I am in

6) working to build a legacy for my family

7) working to show my kids a different way of living

8) working towards becoming an associate professor

9) reading more library books

10) working on getting adequate sleep

Check out a few of my greatest since my last post.

As always, I get this feeling of excitement when I post to my blog. The feeling of possibilities. I won’t make any promises. We will just see how it goes. Until next time!

Categories: Academia, Fashion, Fitness

Life Update!

Oh wow! It has been a minute since my last blog post. Life has definitely been lifing, but I can also say I have been constantly growing. I want to give some major life updates.

Update #1

I had a hysterectomy in August. I have had issues with my cycle and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) for years. One of the major issues with my cycle was the pain. It had come to a point that I was only have two good weeks out of a month. I was starting to see a pattern in my cycle, my mental health, and my lack of productivity. Thank God I was able to find a great Black ob/gyn with a great practice that listened to my concerns. We talked about my concerns and my options. I spoke with my husband, mother, grandmother, sisters, and friends about my concerns and decided a hysterectomy was the best route for me. The surgery went great. I also had a great recovery. One thing I did not prepare myself for was the waiting period to resume physical activity. I started back increasing my activity pre-hysterectomy. However, post-hysterectomy I was advised not to do any strenuous levels of physical activity because my body needed time to heal. I am glad I took it slow with my recovery and easing back into physical activity with walking and some yoga. However, during the months of November and December my weight increased significantly. I now weigh more than I did when I had my daughter. My last weight check was 181 lbs. With my 5’3” frame, that weight has had some negative impacts especially as it relates to my joints and range of motion. I will not discuss it in this post, but I do have plans on how I plan to lose the weight. I will share those details in a later post.

Update #2

I completed Dr. Kemi Doll’s “Get that Grant” program. It was indeed a God send to find out about that program. Make sure to check it out if you are not familiar with the program. Initially, I was hesitant to apply for the program due to the price. However, I remembered that I had research start-up funds from when I was promoted to Assistant Professor, so I took a big leap of faith and asked my dean if I could use some of those funds to cover the program, and she said yes. The program started in July 2022 and ended December 2022. The program was phenomenal. I was able to complete a robust program that provided me with strategies for success when it comes to grant and manuscript writing. In addition, I was able to meet many amazing doctorally-prepared women of color in allied fields. I am still applying the strategies I learned in the program. Some days are better than others because I tend to let that perfectionist mindset get in the way, but I continue to take it one day at a time. I am ultimately proud of myself for having the confidence to ask my dean for that amount of money and for taking that chance on myself.

Update#3

I cut off my hair! It was time. I was feeling antsy and in need of something different. I was busy navigating academia, being a wife and a mom, so a haircut was the easiest thing to do. I love it, but I also know at some point I will grow it back out.

Yay to life, growth, and the blessings of each day.

Categories: Academia, Fashion

Academic Travels- NBNA

National Black Nurses Association 50th Annual Institute and Conference

Ok, so my trip to Chicago for the 50th annual National Black Nurses Association conference is over, and I am ready to share how it went.

To recap, the primary purpose of this trip was to present a podium presentation on my research that focused on health disparities in college students and bridging the gap through research. I mentioned in my last post that I have not done a podium presentation since 2019. I have been doing lectures in front of my students for years now, but a podium presentation at a conference is different. It is different at a conference because I am in front of students, fellow academics, and other professionals, so the standard is higher. I was concerned that the presentation would not be completed in time to practice. I love to practice my presentations before I give them because I don’t want to be dependent on my notes. I had some concerns about my presentation because it was based on a study I had conducted previously, and I had some concerns about the preliminary results. After speaking with my therapist and grant coach, I revised my presentation. I received great feedback. I also realized that notes are not necessarily a bad thing. Several of the presenters used notes, even some of the keynote speakers.

After going on this trip, some primary tips I would give for preparing a presentation would be:

Start early. Use the abstract you submitted to create an outline and fill in the outline with your notes.
Know your audience. This will help you prepare your notes.
Practice, practice, practice. Once you have finalized your notes, start to practice. You do not want to depend on your notes because you will miss the engagement with your audience. Practice in the mirror. Practice in front of an audience. Just make sure you practice so you know your presentation.
Find an outfit that makes you feel confident. Presentations can often cause feelings of anxiety. This can be a good or bad thing depending on the individual. Looking great contributes to my confidence, so I would encourage you to find an outfit that makes you feel great.

Now, I want to share how I prepared to travel for this trip. I have a history of overpacking. As a mom, I always want to make sure I have more than enough for my children when I travel. That habit trickles into my travels without my kids as well. I knew I needed to do something different for this trip. I did an inventory of the luggage I had and determined the items I would need to make my travel a success. I wanted a travel makeup bag, a bag for my chargers, and some luggage packing organizers. I did an Amazon search, and you already know there were so many options to choose from. I decided on the options below (links included).

Links:

Makeup bag

Charger bag

Luggage organizer

I based my decisions on the reviews and the price. These pieces were game changers for my trip. The travel makeup bag allowed me to keep my necessities organized, and it also included a hook, which allowed me to hang my bag in the bathroom for easy access. I was skeptical of my luggage organizers at first because they looked small. However, when I started packing them, they ended up having a good amount of space. I am type A all the way, so it was so exciting to have my clothes organized in these compartments. I was also skeptical of my tech bag because the compartments for storage seemed small, but I was able to pack my cell phone, apple watch, iPad, and mac book charges in my tech bag. I packed this bag in my carry on so having this little bag put me at ease.

The final thing I purchased before my trip was some dresses from Amazon. I ordered these dresses a few days before my trip. I knew I wanted something with more of a tailored look and Amazon did not disappoint in price or product. I was able to find four dresses that had your girl’s confidence on ten. I ordered a large in all of the dresses. During these photos, I was 5’3″ and 175 lbs. I did not wear the solid navy or red dress that I ordered. I do plan to wear them in the future. See the pictures below.

Links:

Polka dot dress

Burgundy dress

Navy and red dresses

I have to mention that my confidence kind of tanked because I broke a nail while traveling to Chicago. My nail split, and I tried my best to keep it intact. It did not work. Once we arrived to Chicago, I bought some glue-on nails from the local Walgreens. The brand I used was the Kiss Bare but Better Sculpted TruNude Fake Nails. This was a total win for me. They were the subtle color and length that I wanted. My confidence was back on 10. The bad part about these nails were the removal when I returned home. I did not look up directions on how to correctly remove nails with glue. You should have guessed it by now that I ended up with damaged nails. That’s ok though because I have the products I need to nurse them back to health.

Link:

Nails

Overall, the trip was a success. My husband was able to travel with me. We had an opportunity to experience great food and drinks, time with one of my old colleagues, and explore Chicago. Professionally, I received inspiration to keep doing the work and growing my professional network.

Categories: Academia, Fashion, Outfits, Research

Upcoming Conference Prep

I have a conference approaching, and I have two goals: complete my presentation and not overpack.

Ahhhh!!!! I have not done a podium presentation since the summer of 2019. I have been lecturing in the classroom since then, but this time, I will be in front of fellow academics, nurses, students, etc. I am nervous, but I know I can do it! My goal is to knock the presentation out by the end of the week to provide me with adequate time to practice, practice, practice. I will create another post to provide tips for creating a presentation after the conference.

I will also share what I did to prep for traveling after the conference. The conference will be in Chicago, IL. I’ve traveled there before for another conference, and I loved it. My goal is to bring a carry-on and a tote bag. I have a habit of overpacking, so this will be the ideal opportunity for me to practice downsizing. I know that I want to purchase a toiletry bag and an organizer bag for my chargers.

I cannot wait to provide an update on my presentation and travels.

Categories: Academia, Research, Service, Teaching

Academic Travels – STTI

Sigma Theta Tau 46th Biennial Convention

This past November, I had an opportunity to travel to Indianapolis, Indiana, to present a collaborative podium presentation at the Sigma Theta Tau 46th Biennial Convention. It was a quick trip for me, but oh, it was a life-changing trip. To start, I’ve always had a fear of flying, even though I’ve flown several times before. It was just something about getting on a plane that would put me in a tailspin. This time was no different. I totally put too much thought into it. I tried everything I could not have to fly alone. My husband had work duties, and my sister had to work. I even talked to my therapist about how nervous I was and my fear of flying alone. She told me everything would be ok and to look at it as a new opportunity. I was a nervous wreck up until the day I had to travel. Long story short. I got over my fear of flying on this trip. I told myself to stop. Just stop! I was completely overthinking it and putting additional stress on my body. After that much-needed pep talk, I was ok. I was able to get on the plane and enjoy my flights. I had to take several to travel to my convention and back. I slept on the majority of them without worry. My next goal with travel is to learn how to pack the correct way.

Second, this trip was life-changing because my iPad became disabled at the beginning of my travels. I usually travel with my Macbook and Ipad; however, I decided to leave my Macbook at home. I tried everything to disable my Ipad, but nothing worked. I guess that was God’s way of saying chill out this weekend. I can laugh about it now. I had my presentation notes on my Ipad. Again, I went into panic mode because I usually over-practice before a presentation. Luckily, I had a printable version of my notes with me. I also had a copy of the manuscript, so I practiced.

Now to the good stuff! The convention took place at the JW Marriott, and I stayed in the same place. The hotel was beautiful. I was able to eat some great food with good company. The presentation was well-received, and I received great feedback on my research. I am excited about my next academic travel.

Categories: Academia, Research, Service, Teaching

Academia – My Job Requirements

I want to provide a brief overview of my job requirements in academia. I currently work in the position of Assistant Professor in nursing. I hold a Ph.D. in nursing. This terminal degree is not a requirement for this position at other institutions. As an academic, you have the opportunity to choose the career path you take based upon your goals and educational achievement.

My job requirements include three categories: research, teaching, and service. Depending on your institution, there are different ways to divide these categories. For example, your institution can require 40% research, 40% teaching, and 20% service. The tenure review board will assess these areas to determine if you met the requirements to maintain your position or achieve promotion.

I want to explain these categories to provide an idea of what each entails.

Research – I have to demonstrate that I can produce scholarly works in the form of manuscripts, presentations, and grants (funding). I have a research area that I am interested in, and my scholarly works revolve around that research area.

Teaching – I have to demonstrate that I can adequately teach the next generation of nurses. I demonstrate my teaching proficiency in the classroom, clinical, etc. I have to maintain a score of 4.0 in this area, and my SOIs (students’ opinions of instruction) determine my score. Students evaluate my teaching and rate me on a scale.

Service – I have to demonstrate that I can professionally contribute to my school, university, organizations that relate to my research, etc. I accomplish service in several ways. One of the ways I demonstrate service is by serving on committees in my school of nursing and university.

I only provided a snippet of my job. I would encourage anyone interested in academia to find a mentor. They are already aware of the requirements for promotion, and they can help you navigate your promotional journey. I would also encourage anyone interested in promotion to get a copy of your institution’s promotion and tenure guidelines. These guidelines should break down what you need to succeed up the academic ladder.

Categories: Academia

Tips for Academic Success

I need to do a post on my nursing and academic journey, but for now, I want to encourage those in academia especially faculty of color, to try the tips I mention below. I started utilizing the tips mentioned two weeks ago.

The first tip is to read the books I have in this post’s feature image. These books have provided me with great information on how to be successful in academia. Some of the major takeaways for me this week were:

Incorporating writing time in my schedule
- It is not enough to just say I am going to write. I actually need to schedule daily writing it in my planner. I did just that this week. My writing days are scheduled for Wednesday and Saturday mornings. I will provide an update on how it goes. I also made sure this week not to check my emails before writing. Once you start checking your email, you will feel obligated to respond, which will take up your writing time.
Organization
- In order for me to be successful, I have to have my office space organized in a fashion that encourages success. I did that this week at work, and I can say I felt more encouraged to be productive in my scholarly writing.
Brunsma Research Queue (BRQ)
- The final suggestion I planned to incorporate this week was the Brunsma Research Queue. The concept is to basically setup a visual reminder of your scholarly projects in your office. You buy a bulletin board, separate it into 9 sections, and for each section, you create a packet for each research related task you are working on. In each packet, you include all of the materials that relate to the research tasks. On the front of the packet, you include a cover sheet and write the tasks you need to complete and the deadlines in bold. Now you have a visual reminder of your scholarly projects, and it also serves as a reminder of the things you need to get done (Rockquemore and Laszloffy, 2008). I bought my bulletin board for my office, but I have not had the chance to put it up yet. I plan to put it up next week. I can’t wait to see how it goes.

Two other tips I have did not come from an academic, but it did come from a major influencer I follow on instagram named Mattie James. Even though she is not an academic, the tips she gave still apply to my home and work life. During one of her live sessions, she encouraged her listeners to write the things that are on our mind down. What that does is it frees up space in our head to focus on the more important things. I incorporated that tip this week. I either use the notes app on my phone or a tiny notepad I keep in my purse to write the things I want to remember down. It helps me feel less anxious because now I won’t forget it, and I can put my focus on other things.

The other tip she provided was using a schedule to maximize your time. Now, I am a lover of planners. Paper planners to be exact, but I may not have my paper planner with me all the time. Mattie uses both a paper planner and her Google calendar to help her stay on top of things family and business. So, I did the same. I went through my paper planner and added all of my appointments in my Google calendar for the rest of the semester. I cannot tell you how that has been such a relief for me. Now if I am away from my paper calendar, I still have my digital calendar handy in case I need to make an appointment. Now, I decrease the chance of double booking myself. You know what another great thing about this is. My Google calendar is shared with my husband, so he is even able to stay on top of things with me and the kids. He is more of a tech guy, and I am a paper loving girl. Now, we have the best of both worlds.

The final tip I have from this week is more so a personal one for myself, but it may be beneficial to someone reading this post. That tip is to stop procrastinating. If you wrote something on your to do list, you wrote it for a reason. I would write out my to-do list for the day, and at the end of the work day, I would be disappointed because I did not complete my tasks. That delay would put me once step further from reaching my goal. The sad thing is majority of the time no one was stopping me from completing my to-do list. I would hype myself up out of fear and procrastinate, so it was totally my fault. I finally had to have a come to Jesus meeting with myself and say stop it. You wrote that list for a reason so get the stuff done. Plus, I knew I would feel bad if I didn’t get it done due to my purposeful procrastination.

That’s the end friends. Those are the tips I’ve incorporated into my life over the past two weeks. I hope this tips are helpful. Until the next time.

Categories: Academia, Fitness

A Reminder to Give Yourself Grace

This is a gentle reminder for me and anyone reading this to give yourself grace. When I initially created this blog, I was excited and had several content ideas I wanted to write about. Around the same time, I decided to take on a workout challenge and be there for the birth of my nephew while also continuing to work in an online course during the summer. I succeeded in accomplishing all the things I set out to do, but at the end of it, I was worn out. With the birth of my nephew, I was quickly reminded of why new moms are so tired.

By the time I returned home from helping my family, my workout routine had fallen apart, I had more days of sleeping in late then getting up, I completed the online course on fumes, and my content for this blog decreased to zero. During all of this, my cycle came which zapped the last remaining energy I had. To know me is to know that my cycle is a beast, and my energy usually tanks during the week it’s here. Let’s not talk about the two weeks prior to the cycle. That is a whole blog for another day.

During this time as well, I received news at a follow-up healthcare visit that I had low vitamin and hormone levels, which can contribute to the fatigue I had been having. To be honest, I’ve had issues with fatigue and concentration for a while, but I finally realized this should not be a normal everyday occurrence. My healthcare provider and I came up with a plan to get me back on track. It has taken me baby steps since that follow-up to come to grips again with the importance of my self-care and how my routine can contribute to myself care.

This summer was a busy one, and I felt like it went by in a blur. I had to step back and remind myself of the things I did accomplish. Those things may have seemed small at first, but as my grandmother often reminds me the Bible says “Do not despise small things.” Those small things have made a major impact. The creation of the blog made an impact on my ability to overcome that initial feeling of fear and anxiety I had when deciding to start this blog. My completion of my two-week strengthening workout had a positive impact on my health, my mood, and my goal to prove I can be consistent with my workouts. The completion of my online course had an impact on my family because it provided additional income for our home. Being there for the birth of my nephew had an impact because I was able to provide my sister with time to get the necessary rest she needed as a new mom. The visit with my health care provider had an impact because it helped me realize it was necessary for me to take care of myself just as I care for my family’s health care needs.

I had to again realize it is okay to stop when you are running on fumes. You cannot pour from an empty cup. You cannot be the best for anyone else if you are not the best for yourself first. I beat myself up mentally after I returned home because I did not have the get up and go I felt I should have in the mornings. I did not have the mental or physical energy to workout, plan for the fall semester, or any other necessary things I needed to do. The part that really bothered me was that I did not have the energy to do my morning routing (i.e. Bible time, workout, shower, breakfast, and coffee). My early morning routine is my happy place. It is my time when I have no distractions, and it helps me get prepared for the rest of my day. Without it, I felt I had lost myself.

Then I was reminded to give myself grace because a lot has happened this summer.I still haven’t planned any workouts, but I walked for 30-minutes yesterday and an hour today in nature. I didn’t have any distance requirements with my walks. I just wanted to walk, and those walks made a world of difference. I was able to contribute to my health while viewing beautiful scenery. See pictures below.

If you look at my feature image, you should see the rainbow in the water. That rainbow reminded me of God’s promise and also that each day is a new day to begin again. I plan to work back towards getting on my routine. I know it will be needed because the kids will start school soon, and the fall semester is right around the corner. I just needed that gentle reminder to give myself grace. I cannot pour from an empty cup, and I cannot take care of others if I do not take care of me first.

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