Up Close and Personal with April Moeller, Nurse and Team Beach Body Coach

A special thank you to Nurse and Team Beach Body Coach, April, for being so open and willing to share with us what it is to be like being in both of her jobs.

What type of nurse are you?

MedSurg/Peds/Swingbed/Rehab

What are your credentials?

BSN

Where do you work?

Avera St. Lukes/ HCR ManorCare

Why did you decide to become a nurse? And why did you choose your particular field of nursing?

I have always had a passion for helping those less fortunate than myself and I’ve always been the person to ask, “But why?” Nursing allows me to do both. I get to care for people and discover why our body works the way it does. I get to be both a detective and caregiver.

Tell us about your field of nursing.

I work not only as a nurse, but also as a Team Beachbody Coach. In both jobs, I have people counting on me to show up and get my work done.

On the nursing floor I am the one who will administer your medications, change your dressings, poke and prod, and listen to your fears. I see my patients in their hardest times, hold on to their darkest secrets, and share their brightest moments, but that is a stressful thing to do.

As a Beachbody coach my job is much different! I plan my challenge group posts and pictures. I push my challengers to the limits and I get to see a completely different life struggle. I am able to laugh and cry with my team, as I do my patients, but this line of work tends to be my stress relief!

My typical day: I wake up and workout. Drink my Shakeology and get ready for work. I go to work and often have 4-6 patients. I look at their previous day. What is their diagnosis? What are their labs? Have we done imaging? What were their last vitals? When do they discharge? These are all questions I want to know the answer to before I see my patient. I do my full assessment and ensure they have all they need. Once I have my assessments done and medications administered I take care of myself.

I eat every 2-3 hours, and I check on my challengers as I’m munching on my apple. I make a morning post (or evening depending on the challenge group that month) whether it be motivational, a discussion question, or a daily challenge. Once I am finished, my phone is put away and my focus is on my patients. *Whatever you are doing at that point in time, give it your 100%.

Multi-tasking is great, don’t get me wrong, but give your work your full attention always!*

My day continues with dressing changes, NG flushing, IV starts, Foley placements. I will be the first to say, sometimes lunch just doesn’t happen. Nurses, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. You MUST eat, pee, and breathe! If I can not eat the meals I spend hours preparing, I will eat nuts, a protein bar, or some cheese. Regardless of how busy you job is, you cannot care properly for others if you do not care for yourself. Of course I check in with my challengers at lunch and continue my afternoon much like my morning.

In the afternoon I’m likely to have a discharge, followed closely by an admission where the process starts over again. I get to hear life stories and make a difference EVERYDAY! When my shift is complete I head home and plan for the next day as I eat my last meal. I check in with my challengers and share get the opportunity to share my day with them as well as read their non-sale victories and struggles. I always end my day with 5-10 of something relaxing; reading a book, doing some yoga, anything that calms me.

What do you love about your job?

I love that everyday is different. It is an emotional roller-coaster I never want to get off.

Another thing I like is flexibility. As a nurse you are able to do SO MUCH. You can transfer departments and learn new things. If you aren’t PALS certified, chances are, you can be! If you do not understand something, you can ALWAYS expand your knowledge. Education is LIFE long.

Being a fitness coach I am able to see people work their tail off and better themselves. It is amazing to see someone who didn’t think they could do it turn around and drop 130 pounds in two years. That itself is worth all the late nights and early mornings.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

The most challenge part of my jobs is the part I love the most, the emotional roller-coaster. There are days when you cannot handle it and you do break down in tears. There are days you want to scream! It is so hard working to better people who are against you, confused, or just non-compliant.

The second biggest struggle is remembering in all I do to take care of my myself. It is hard to drink the proper amount of water some days. There are days off  when I just want to sleep, but that is where my Beachbody Coaching helps me.

I only have one body. Because our genetics are set in our DNA we cannot control them, but we can control the environment. I can put healthy food into my body. I can give it my all for 2% of my day and workout for 30 minutes. I can reduce many risks by keeping myself healthy. My job as a coach pushes me to push others, who will call me out if I slack. I LOVE that part of my job!

We’d love to hear from other Nurses who work two jobs! Tell us in the comments what others things you do aside from being a nurse.