This Nurse is Making Self Care Her Business - Ep. 58
After taking some time off work after her wedding, Christal began to realize self Care was vital to her success. Christal Parker is a wife, new mom, recent family nurse practitioner grad, ER nurse, and business owner. While juggling many hats and after 10 years of working in the ER, she found her self burnt out and constantly stressed out!. Taking time off, birthed the idea of her business Self Care RX in which she empowers, inspires, and supports nurses in putting themselves first through various self-care tools and practices.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Naseema McElroy: [00:00:00] Hey, Hey, Hey nurses on fire. I am super honored to have Christal Parker joined us from Self Care RX. Hey Christal, how are you?
Christal Parker: [00:00:10] Good. How are you? I'm so glad to be here.
Naseema McElroy: [00:00:13] I am doing great. And you are doing some amazing things, especially as a new mom. So congrats on having your new baby.
Christal Parker: [00:00:23] Thank you.
Naseema McElroy: [00:00:25] and that in itself was a journey.
So before we talk about that one, let's talk about your journey into becoming a
nurse. Okay. So I've been a nurse for 10 years now. I grew up in a family of nurses. My mom's a nurse. My grandma was a nurse. I have three cousins that are nurses, so we are a nurse family. I avoided at first of course, I wanted to do anything.
I want to be in the medical field. but I did not necessarily want to be a nurse. I tried to one doctor and then I was like, Oh no, A physician assistant. No. And nursing, once I, I got into it, just the passion came and I felt that that's supposed to be so, went to nursing school and got a job in the ER.
And I've been doing, working as an ER nurse ever since.
yay. Congratulations. I mean like a family of nurses, like. That's super motivating. I have a few nurses in my family, but like, dang, like everybody around you as a nurse. And I understand that I don't want it that want to be a nurse ever by sinners, but man, I also wish that I would've listened to my first mind and became a nurse instead of doing all that other stuff and all those other degrees. But speaking of loans, as a nurse, you are able to, Complete very significant financial milestone. Do you want to talk about that?
Christal Parker: [00:01:52] Yes. So the first few years of nursing, you know, you're young, you're making all this money and you know, you're getting these credit card offers and you're spending and you're like, Oh, just make that back.
you know, working extra shifts within sometimes that doesn't come, especially when work is hard, you don't feel like it. And then the bills start mounting up. I didn't have too much loan debt. For a school loan debt, but I did have credit card debt and. And bill. So I had to buckle down and then as I said, I used, Dave Ramsey's method, as far as, getting myself out of debt, snowball effect, and just making a plan, sticking to the plan and the budget and paying those bills off.
It was very important to me because I'm the type of person I don't like lingering. I don't like owing people. I don't like people. So like running from people, calling me. So I'm like, I need to really tackle, tackle his day and get ahold of it and learn budgeting. So the thing from coming from parents who, you know, my mom was a nurse and she she'll say that she taught me how to budget, but she did it.
And she showed me, she used to show me her checks for inspiration. You know, if you work hard and blah, blah, blah, this is what you get, but she didn't really have. Debt, either a credit card. So I just saw her like, Oh my mom, since she was able to buy what she wants. So, you know, I had to learn how to actually budget for myself because I probably sit more than my mom was going out to Cindy at first.
So.
Naseema McElroy: [00:03:16] And then budgeting is something you can, you have to learn for yourself because it is an individual thing because the, the way that you budget is not going to be the way that your parents budget. And so, and there's different kinds of budgeting methods out there. But Dave Ramsey's method is what helped me, to the zero based budgeting and the debt snowball.
Like those are super duper efficient ways to get out of debt, highly, debated. But I have seen it work. And adult easily for more people than I've seen anything else. I really applaud Dave Ramsey for sharing those methods because they feel like they have helped so many people, So you were able to pay off how much debt
Christal Parker: [00:03:54] about $20,000, $20,000 that I had accumulated over about.
Ooh. And then I bought a house too, so it was probably over three or four years. but in order to start saving, to buy my house, I wanted to pay off the debt first. So that's what I did in it. And it seems elementary this method, but yeah, just take this, the small debts that you have paid those off, because it really does give you momentum and give you encouragement and confidence to continue paying off the bigger bills.
Naseema McElroy: [00:04:22] Yeah. I think it's great too. I think it's great, but I guess I'm biased. Yeah. Cause it worked for me. So, you know. Alright. So let's talk about this journey on, into self care that you kind of had to personally go on and what you're doing.
Christal Parker: [00:04:41] Yes. I started self care RX, out of a point of frustration for me, this was the flu season of 2018.
Now to think of what we're going through now, and to think of the little food, little quote, unquote flu season from 2018. But. It really, I actually thought flu season of 2017. because at the end of the year, I was saving for my wedding in 2018. So I was working a lot and I was just stressed. I mean, working, we had, patients sick all over the hallways and it was never a nice chill day at work.
It was just. Hectic from the time you walked in to the time you left and being that I was trying to save and pay off, I have to work a lot more. So I ended up getting really stressed out, burnt out on the job. It started to affect me. I started to not want to go to work, sorry to be still take care of my patients, but just have that like, Oh, what do you want attitude?
I didn't want to work like that. So when. and in preparation for my wedding, I started working out. I started, you know, you have this instant stuff to where you're relaxing and closer. It got closer to the wedding. I could kind of start relaxing cause things, things were being paid for, but I then getting a trainer working out in that dress.
And from that I started. to go on this mission of self care and just investing more time and energy into myself. I then, after my wedding took about a month off after for honeymoon and things like that and just to enjoy, and from that period, I just needed that reset. And that really taught me having that month off in time to really invest into myself, it really reset me.
So by the time I went back to work, I was running a new attitude and I just learned that, okay. Self care and taking time and. And my, my biggest thing as far as going back to the budgeting is, you know, if we're working all these overtime shifts as nurses to, to pay for all these things that we may or may not need, or getting an, all this debt that really affects your self care.
So it was very important for me to, pay off my debt. bringing it back to a where I can live on not working over a lot of overtime and live within my means. That was important for my self care. So after that, I was like, Hey, I can help other nurses do that because I started talking to my colleagues and started hearing them complain about things and I will start teaching or, you know, another big thing nurses.
We don't take care of ourselves as far as eating, going to the doctor. So I have a friend who that works. Oh, I have his neck pain. I have this neck pain. I've had it for years. How he went to the doctors? No, why not? I don't know. Haven't made an appointment, so it's like, we take care of everyone else except for ourselves.
So that was how SelfCareRX was birthed from my journey to my own self care that I wanted to share with other nurses.
Naseema McElroy: [00:07:36] And what does self care mean? Like as far as like self care acts. Cause self care means a lot of things, different people, some people it's like just getting a pedicure.
What does it mean to you?
Christal Parker: [00:07:48] Yeah, so, so what I always think about it and say, is that self care, like you said, is individualized to each person. I always say that self care is whatever you intentionally do for yourself. So whatever that is, it can be a bubble bath, the face mask, pedicure, it could be running, you know, it's going to be different for everybody, but as long as you set that intention, I'm going on a 30 minute run because I need to do this for myself and my body.
This is what I need. And then you go do it. So. that's what self care means to me is whatever you intentionally do, that's for yourself. So give yourself that time to replenish rejuvenate refocus, and that can be done. You know, five minutes a day up to like a couple hours a day. So it's whatever you choose to do, but that's intentional that you're doing it for yourself.
That's what self care means to me. Yeah.
Naseema McElroy: [00:08:37] Yes. That's awesome. In burnout in the nursing world is so a real, if you don't take care of yourself, but I tie that also back with, Your finances too. I think that's part of self care and that's, why started this as a whole financially intentional, you know, brand is because I realized once I started being more intentional about my money, I was starting being more intentional about my health.
I started being intentional about taking care of myself and focusing on. What was it going to fill me up and knowing that if I had financial stability, that overall
I was a better person, I could show up as a better nurse as a better advocate as a better partner, just as a better mom. and so. I felt that power, that switching that relationship with money, just like switching that one relationship with food might be, or switching that relationship with diet maybe.
and that empowered me so much, but also just in general. Empowers other people, right. Or you can help more people or you're able to speak up and do more. And you're not constantly just grind, grind, grind, go, go, go until you are just done. So yeah. I love that. And it's like you said all about that intentionality. That's great. So
Christal Parker: [00:09:59] yeah, it also frees up your mental, you know, if you're in debt, that's what you're constantly thinking about. How are you going to pay these bills? Who's calling you. asking for money, you go to sleep with that at night, and that just wears on your body, the stress of that being financially debt, it really wears on you.
that's probably a major, key to self care is to raise yourself of those things that keep you up at night. And finances is definitely one that I think and keeps her up at night. If they're not in a position where they can, You know, manage their money.
Naseema McElroy: [00:10:32] Right. And then we're all energy, right. That's why we have EKGs and that's why we can get shocked back until I, right. And so stress is one of those things that totally lowers your energy. And it's one of the things that causes a lot of illnesses and cancers and death. And so like, yeah, if we don't manage that stress and if that looks like, you know, Chilling out being able to relax, or if that's like paying down debt, like whatever it is, we have to manage that.
but also, yeah, knowing what serves you and actually just taking that time to understand that it's just like super important. So I love what you're doing. Talk about the services and products that you provide.
Christal Parker: [00:11:19] So, self care RX also came at a time where I was thinking about, creating a product.
I had always thought, I remember going into a scrub store probably when I started nursing. And I w I don't know if I asked or I thought like, Oh, did they have any lotion here? You know? Cause we wash our hands a lot. You know, a little bit better than a Jergens I'll call using Jergens back then better than those, the Jergens or, you know, the watery stuff that we have.
And I just see it. So I was really, and thinking about what else can I do outside of nursing? I thought, well, Maybe I can make the lotion. I don't know where the idea came from. Well, I think I was praying for an idea or something to that I could do on the side. And then I was reminded of this lotion idea that I have.
So I started on the journey of figuring out how do you make lotion? I had no clue. I started off making lotions and body butters myself. collecting a bunch of products and how my house was getting full of like Shea butters and. All these ingredients. I'm like, I can't keep all this stuff in my house.
There's no way that's a bit of a better way. So I started looking into manufacturers and came across a business coach who helped, people, Basically build brands and build that's from scratch. And I ended up working with her and it chemist and a manufacturer to create a lotion, it's called Code Skin, hydrating hand cream.
The lotion that's specifically made with the needs of nurses in mind for Overwashed, dry, cracked hands, and the horrible soaps and sanitizers that they give us that work in lotion. They just leave our hands. Crusty and crafted and just really dry. So, the lotion that I created has a barrier in it. It stays on, through a couple of hand washes.
You don't have to keep reapplying every time and you can, you can feel you wash your hands and your hands are still moisturized. it's packed with different oils, sunflower oils, ingredients that really nourish and protect the hand. So that's my first product. I have a couple other products and I'm getting ready to expand into different bath and other self care products, just to help nurses enhance our journey of self care.
So I'm hoping to provide. A little something for, the different modalities of it, self care that nurses have. So maybe a journal for the spiritual people who like taking bath, I'll have bath bombs, people who like drinking coffee I'll have mugs and things like that. So where I would like to take the brand by for now, we have the lotion, which is our.
One of our first products and it's doing really well. So I'm really excited. it took a year to create and have the product in hand. When I finally got it, I was on maternity leave. So, you know, I wouldn't use it. I was washing my hands and I wouldn't use it. But when I went back to work a few weeks ago and was really washing my hands over and over and using it, I'm like, wow.
My people have told me that your lotion really works, but I got to see for myself, like this stuff really works. Then if I forget it at home, my hands are a hot mess. So it really works that I'm really, I'm really proud of it. And I wanted to make sure that it was a product cause you know, we know what we want.
And I said, I could not come step it up here with the nurses offering products that do not work. So I wanted to be sure that it really works. It's a really awesome product and I'm glad to. Be able to offer it to my nurse, friends out there. Yeah.
Naseema McElroy: [00:14:45] I'm glad that you have that because I have such horrible, like contact dermatitis from, work.
Like my hands are so like baseline, like so dry. And crusty, it's just ridiculous. And like peeling . And when you think about, and just preventing infection and transmission of, things like, it's super important to keep that barrier. I mean, your skin is that barrier and really constantly breaking down that barrier if we're not building it back up.
And so this product is super important. , I don't know how many times in my head I've thought like, There needs to be something better out there. So kudos to you for making that. Yeah.
Christal Parker: [00:15:23] And the lotions. I was fine. there's one, that's kind of, advertised for dry cracked peon, but I put it on and it's so greasy that I could not put my gloves on.
I had to wash it off to put my clothes off
Naseema McElroy: [00:15:35] and they'll know, it'll, mess up the integrity of your gloves. So it's, it has to be, formulated a certain way. And so it's important that this product is for nurses by nurses.
Christal Parker: [00:15:47] Exactly. So I, yeah, I, I, I really, we went back and forth to make sure that it's a product that we can really use it and people ask me, of course you don't have to be a nurse to use it, but if it works for us, it'll work for anyone.
Naseema McElroy: [00:16:01] cool. So, you just briefly mentioned, like when you were going into the scrub store that you had, like this thing, like you, you, you knew you wanted to do something on the side and now you're full on this journey of being an entrepreneur also, you know, still being an ER nurse, but what was that spark that made you want to pursue entrepreneurship on top of being a nurse?
Christal Parker: [00:16:27] I really don't know. I always say entrepreneurship kind of found me. but because. Owning my own business. It's something that I didn't even ever think about. in also thinking about it, my dad was a dentist who had his own practice, and I always knew he had his own practice, but it didn't really click that's my dad's practice, but he's a businessman and he also owned a few businesses I have on my mom's side, I have six uncles, five of them own their own business.
So, and thinking about it. Entrepreneurship is in my blood, so it's not surprising. but I feel like the book hit me. And now that I did, I feel like I can't talk. just the freedom you, you gain from entrepreneurship, is really enticing to me. So, Yeah, I love it so far. It's definitely different.
It's definitely a huge learning curve, but like at the same time I was in school, I was also building this business. So I kind of got, I feel like I got a dual degree in it. my, my, nurse practitioner and a business degree. But it's been, it's been great. It's been a huge learning curve and it's something that's fun and exciting to me.
So I'm really, I'm really happy about it.
Naseema McElroy: [00:17:33] So where do you see you taking this business?
Christal Parker: [00:17:37] Well, I eventually would like to continue to encourage it. And the main thing about Self Care RX as a brand is to encourage them, like I said, encourage and empower nurses to put ourselves first or self care. So I want to continue.
building that and continue being able to reach out to nurses and give them different tools and practices that can minimize our stress because nurses are dying by suicide. And that's something that's not really talked about, but nurses are dying by suicide at an alarming rate, which is scary because we know what to do well, what to do.
Essentially. We know that you should get help and those things, but it's not happening. And I was. I really want to stop that and, and stop the suffering of nurses, especially when it comes to work in our family issues and all that we go through. so just to continue building the brand, spreading the message of self care, I've been truly love to do retreats with nurses to, to take so we can invent a continuum that's in our self care, but just to continue to grow the business and spread the word.
And encourage nurses is that's my goal. That's my ultimate goal
Naseema McElroy: [00:18:46] Sky is the limit. I really see it for you. And, but just like. And you being able to kind of step outside, but also create something that we so desperately need. Like, I think that that's what it's all about. Like figuring out what people really need and then meeting them there.
That's like the perfect combination for a business. So, I know that she'll be super successful. You also have the nurses on fire community.
Christal Parker: [00:19:16] I do. So if you go, if you go on the website, it's www.myselfcarerx.com and put in the code nurses on fire, you can get 10% off of your bottle of lotion.
Naseema McElroy: [00:19:31] Yay. Well, thank you for that.
Thank you for that. Definitely appreciate it.
Christal Parker: [00:19:36] So please check it out. It's amazing.
Naseema McElroy: [00:19:38] Yes. And so where can people find you and work with you?
Christal Parker: [00:19:44] on Instagram, we are @ self care, our ex. Underscore and on Facebook, it's the same, but, we also have a Facebook community called the well nurse society. And that is where we're getting ready to revamp it to where, I'll be getting a lot more information and doing a lot more education on self care and different practices.
I kind of like to try stuff out. I'm also a product junkie, so that's kind of where the, the lotion and the products come from. So just exploring different things that I like that help helped me. And offering that to the nurses and, and just. You know, different ideas because you don't know what you don't know.
So different ideas that helped me or other nurses I want. Yeah. Just kind of build a community to where we can share those experiences to help each other out, a place where nurses can come. If they do feel stressed out and they need support. That's what we do at the wealth nurse society. So you can find us there on Facebook.
the website again is www.myselfcareRX.com I'm on the Instagram self care RX underscore you can find the links to everything
Naseema McElroy: [00:20:49] and I'll have everything linked up in the show notes for use you're driving. I didn't want to run it down. Just go ahead and click on more information or just at the bottom of wherever you're listening to this podcast and just click right over so you can check out Christal and all her greatness and all her great products.
And join an amazing community that focuses on self care. So thank you so much, Christal. I really appreciate you talking to me.
Christal Parker: [00:21:18] it was
Naseema McElroy: [00:21:18] my pleasure. You you're great. And I love what you're doing and I think we have just so much in common. We have so much in common. I'm just like I could talk to you forever, but yeah, I appreciate you.
And I know that, not only will nurses be able to benefit from awesome. Skincare. I mean, you know, with the hydration lotion, but, you know, knowing yeah.
Community that they can turn to where self care is, you know, the core I think is super important,
but then just a reminder, I think this episode will just serve as a reminder.
And especially during these times that we have to take care of ourselves before we can take care of anyone else. And so you have to pour into you Before you help others. So this is a reminder nurses are really, really, really, really bad at taking care of ourselves. So let this be your like, Hey, yes, let's do it.
We have to take care of, we have to take care of ourselves. Yeah.
Christal Parker: [00:22:19] I also have a wellness checklist. That's on the site. You can link just to, just to give you an idea of what areas you might be lacking to see where you can start first. So nurses, I really encourage you to take your self care as a priority.
Especially in these times we were being worked to the core with this Kobe going on. So along with our health, we need to also take care of our ourselves.
Naseema McElroy: [00:22:41] Yes. And all this additional PPE and. Lord, you know, I haven't, I have an idea actually. Have you noticed okay. or wearing masks more, I've noticed it and I wear masks all the time.
Cause I'm in the, or, but I have gotten acne around like my mouth lines and a lot of people get like contact dermatitis, like from the mask. Like if there's like a barrier cream or something that will help.
Christal Parker: [00:23:09] Yeah, lots of people have asked. I wonder if a lotion, I might try to see if he can put a little bit over there to protect.
but what I have told people about that who has asked me is just, just really stick to yourself, your face care routine, which is a part of my self care. That's how I like getting my self care in is my 15 minutes. Based care routine. That is my time for it to do something for myself. So just keep up with your face care routine, make sure you're moisturizing and using your sunscreen.
And that, that will, that will kind of help that certain times that I know is just really hard with those masks. This is the ER I wear in 95 and then a math on top of that all day, every day, take it in chances. So it's been really hard. Yeah. Trying to keep that dryness and that dermatitis away. So. Yeah.
Naseema McElroy: [00:23:57] And I hope you have a YouTube video of your face care routine. Cause I'm like interested. I'm like, yeah. Yeah.
Christal Parker: [00:24:05] I wouldn't do. I've done a couple of day. Yeah.
Naseema McElroy: [00:24:15] Yeah, I'm sure other people will appreciate it just as much as me, but overall, I'm just appreciate getting to know you on this interview and sharing you with the nurses on fire community. So thank you so much Christal
Hey there I’m Naseema
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