Why Nurses Need to Focus on Their Own Health, Too

It is easy to assume nurses are among the healthiest people around. After all, they spend years studying the fundamentals of good health and how to care for sick people. You might even think seeing the results of poor health and what can happen to the body when you don’t take of yourself would be a powerful motivator.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case for many nurses. An increasingly high number of nurses could be considered nearly as unhealthy as their patients. Many deal with ailments related to their work — fatigue, aches and pains, stress — which when combined with being overweight, smoking and poor diets can create serious and potentially dangerous health conditions.

Sick Nurses, Sick Patients

Nurses are, by definition, caring people. However, many nurses care more for others than they do for themselves. They put their own well-being on the back burner in favor of taking care of everyone else’s needs. As a result, they often do not take breaks or make time for healthy meals and exercise. Instead of sitting down for a well-balanced meal to get the energy they need to get through the remainder of their shift with energy and focus, they might eat a quick snack high in carbohydrates, sugar and fat, which will give them a momentary boost but will soon leave them more tired and stressed than before.

In fact, poor diet is a major contributor to elevated stress levels among nursing staff. According to the American Dietetic Association, skipping meals or only eating unhealthy snacks throughout the day creates dips and spikes in blood glucose levels, which influence energy and mood. In addition, it can cause your body to store fat, leading to obesity and other related health issues.

Feeling tired and irritable isn’t the only effect a poor diet has on nurses. A study at Tufts University in Massachusetts found low glucose levels can have a significant effect on concentration, short-term memory and information retention. Given the demands of caring for patients placed on a nurse’s cognitive ability, low blood sugar levels can have a serious, detrimental effect on job performance and even patient safety.

Improving Nurse Health

Recently, the American Heart Association called upon health care professionals, particularly nurses, to take steps toward creating a “Culture of Health” encouraging everyone to take charge of their own health and wellness and place a priority on a healthy lifestyle. Nurses are the ideal people to lead this charge, because not only are they well-equipped to teach others how to live a healthy lifestyle, but they can also serve as examples through their own actions.

Some of the techniques experts recommend for nurses to improve their own health include:

Eat small, well-balanced meals throughout the day. In general, most people are best served by eating five to six small meals with a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat each day. Instead of skipping meals, or binging at the end of the day, eating this way keeps your glucose levels consistent, allowing you to maintain your energy and mood.

Exercise. Busy nurses often say they don’t have time to exercise, but it’s actually easier to squeeze mini-workouts throughout the day. Park farther from the door, take the stairs or trade some TV or online time at home for a 30 minute workout. You will feel better, be healthier and improve your job performance.

Practice stress management. Juggling the responsibilities of work and family with the need to stay on top of the requirements for your career can be stressful. Even just meeting the needs of a particular patient can push a nurse to the brink. Instead of reaching for a chocolate bar or suppressing your emotions, find constructive ways to manage stress. You might spend your break taking a walk around the block or hitting the gym after work instead of collapsing in front of the television — exercise is a proven stress reliever. Find ways to reduce stress “in the moment” as well; breathing and visualization techniques are often helpful.

Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to maintain your energy.

Build a culture of support. Weight loss competitions can be a powerful motivator, but instead of competing with other nurses to shed pounds, focus instead on encouraging each other to take steps toward good health. Remind each other to eat throughout the day, share healthy snacks with each other and provide encouragement and support. Sometimes a smile or kind word from a co-worker can make all the difference in someone’s mood and outlook, and help them stay focused and committed.

Nurses owe it to themselves, and their patients, to be as healthy and focused as possible. Everyone benefits from a healthy nurse, so take some time for yourself and commit to staying as healthy as possible.