The Three AM Project

I am beginning my life working in the Emergency Department at a local hospital. The ultimate goal of orientation, aside from gaining skills to successfully transition from new graduate to professional nurse, is to transition from working 7am-7pm to 7pm-7am. This middle-of-the-night action appears daunting. I have decided to engage and love the concept of night shift. I am currently working 3pm-3 am shifts, which offers the opportunity to love the night.

In order to prepare my circadian rhythm, the night before the night (in my case “evening” shift), I formulate a 3 am project- an activity which will happily ensconce my brain and body to keep me awake.

Project Number ONE:

I learned about chalkboard paint from my friends in PA who have a very nice chalkboard wall that they painted. I thought it was a brilliant idea, so I painted this. This photo is very deceptive, because from a distance you can see all the letters clearly…

What I did wrong…

-          I used a textured wall. Critical thinking skills completely lost? You cannot use a textured wall for optimal chalkboard use.

-          My twin sister advised me to not get paint on the carpet. No problem! I put down a large plastic bag I used to move my mattress from Baltimore to Charlottesville… What I failed to do is check for gaps where the plastic and wall chose to separate because I didn’t tape the plastic to the bottom corner of the wall

-          I believe you can still tell that the map is of the United States…This started by happenstance. I was trying to paint the world… No rubric.

Project Number TWO:

Looks so simple…I got the idea from my friend’s sister. Her California map is three times the size of mine. Her nails are also substantially larger. What I did wrong:

-          Bought a CHEAP wooden piece from the “art” section at Walmart. Cheap cheap wood, I discovered, means that the nails simply will not sink into the wood- no matter the force applied with a hammer, no matter the angle

-          Hammering in rage is ineffective…you may hammer your finger and that HURTS

What I did right: the shape of the state, the color combination, the letters…AND it fits my living room’s nautical theme

Project Number Three:

What you see is exactly what I wanted. I am happy with it. J It now graces the wall in my “nighttime-themed” bedroom. 

Project Suppliers

My projects would not be possible without the support of specific locations... I would like to thank, at this point, Walmart, Kroger's and Harris Teeter for staying open 24 hours a day! Thank you very much!!