Nursing Students

Nutrition Knowledge for Nursing Students

We all know that healthy food choices are crucial to preventing and curing illness, particularly chronic illnesses in patients. Just like rest of the population, the nurses also struggle with nutrition deficiency, especially the nursing students. Due to excess workload and stress, nurses often tend to forget to take proper nutrition intake. As a result they suffer from feeling weak to chronic pain. Nurses usually have restricted access to meal breaks. Most workplace often tend to serve limited option food which may or may not have proper nutrition.

Itโ€™s no secret that nursing is one of the most physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding jobs out there. The diversity and the nobility of the field is what appeals to most of the aspiring nursing students. The path to becoming a nurse is no easy task. There is lot of hurdles that needs to be overcome by a student before becoming a full-fledged nurse.

This path whose end goal is to serve the people and their health, the nurses often tend to forget about their own healthcare! There are various reports that says that majority of the nurses often suffer from nutrition deficiency. This article is extremely important for the promising future nurses.

Develop Good Eating Habits Early On

Nursing Students

The first step into becoming a nurse is our nursing school, which is where aspiring nurses are born. The nursing students, like anyone pursuing higher education, often mess up their health routine. Due to challenges they face, such as coursework, late night study sessions, lab work, and last-minute cramming for mandatory exams. In this stage of life, the brain tends to get used to its maximum level.

When productivity and workload increase, something else must be given in return in order for the brain to function efficiently and the body to work properly. That is called nutrition intake. Healthy habits in the early stage of the life can continue to be something a nurse carries throughout their nursing career.

In your student life, you will be presented with the most opportunities to learn from successful individuals. Those who have excelled in their career by now. Gaining insight from those who have exponentially more experience than you can enlighten you. Itโ€™ll also give you a head start on what dietary challenges you can expect to face in the field.

Live with a motto

There is a well-known quote, โ€œDon’t just wear green for a day; eat your greens every day, too!โ€
This quote goes well with those nurses who are suffering from nutrition deficiency and are not paying much heed to their nutrition intake.

Practice What You Teach

Nursing Students

Nurses have a unique position of influencing the patients. The majority of the nurses work on a personal level with the patients. It is important for everyone to maintain a healthy lifestyle, especially patients who are just recovering from any sickness. There was an article published in the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. It was titled, โ€œHealthy Eating for Healthy Nurses: Nutrition Basics to Promote Health for Nurses and Patients.โ€ The article stated that, ย  โ€œWhen healthcare professionals, such as nurses, care for their own health, it is reasonable to think that this will help them to better care for patients.โ€

Almost all patients follow the instructions of their respective nurses wholeheartedly. If nurses can demonstrate their own personal health lifestyle, it is sure to be impacted upon the patients as well. The patients will undoubtedly get influenced by their portrayal of lifestyle and try to follow their healthy lifestyle as well.

โ€œPractice what you teachโ€, if youโ€™re treating the patient towards a healthy lifestyle then it is important for the nurse to follow it as well, in that way both the parties can be benefitted from it. Besides, staying in good physical and mental health is important for anyone entering the field of healthcare. Nurses have extremely challenging jobs which require them to be fit 24/7.

In addition, a clear head hat involves long hours of critical thinking and good decision-making skills. In order to be always ready, whether youโ€™re a nursing student or a professional nurse getting ready for a long shift, it is essential to stay on a rich nutritional diet which in return will benefit their physical health condition and their overall well-being.

Miscellaneous

Nurses should understand what sort of role they play in a patientโ€™s life besides treating their illness. For example, shaping up their lifestyle in a healthy way. As a nurse, you are in no way required to be the perfect role model. However, it is important to remember that whatever actions or roles you portray in front of a patient will directly cast a shadow of influence over the patientโ€™s life.


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