Earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree helps you advance your career, take on more responsibility and pursue leadership roles. Flexible options like the online BSN program from The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) allow you to continue working, earning an income and gaining valuable experience, all while you complete the degree program.
Yet, along with more responsibility can come more stress, let alone the challenges of going back to school while working full time. To succeed as a student and a nurse, you must learn how to mitigate stress in various circumstances like a long night shift, a situation with a challenging patient or an anxiety-inducing exam. This is where practicing self-care comes into the picture.
The Relationship Between Self-care, Stressors and Other Challenges
Although nurses are trained caregivers, they sometimes forget the importance of self-care. This can lead to errors on the job, fatigue, burnout, health problems and a general disdain for life, which comes at a high cost to both patients and nurses.
Self-care for nurses starts with the awareness of personal needs and then finding ways to take care of those needs. Both nursing students and nursing professionals experience many stressors that require self-care and healthy coping mechanisms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that risk factors for stress and burnout for nurses can include:
- Experiencing human suffering and death
- Challenging relationships with family, patients, employers and other staff
- Hazardous working conditions
- Unpredictable schedules and long hours
- Intense emotional situations caring for patients
Nursing students also deal with academic stress like reviews, heavy workloads and study problems. They may be dealing with other stresses as well, such as balancing a job and family obligations with the coursework for their nursing program.
The Cost to Patients
As the old adage goes, you need to be able to care for yourself before you can effectively care for others. This is true for anyone, but the stakes can be much higher for nurses. When nurses feel stress, compassion fatigue and burnout, both the patient and the nurse can face serious consequences.
For instance, a Nurse.com article explores research surrounding the impact of nurse burnout on patients. It highlights five specific effects:
- Reduced quality of care
- Decreased patient satisfaction
- Increased infection rates
- Higher readmission rates
- Nurse turnover and staffing shortages
Conversely, the job satisfaction that can come from feeling informed and supported in one’s professional role can positively impact patient outcomes. In fact, a 2024 research article published in BMC nursing found that hospitals with an “optimal work environment for nurses” demonstrated a lower 30-day patient mortality rate than hospitals with suboptimal conditions for nurses. Clearly, the support nurses feel has a direct impact on patients.
The Cost to Nurses
While nurses often deal with musculoskeletal pain and depression, they may endure other discomforts as well. Their personal lives and relationships may suffer. They may develop other health problems or burn out and leave the nursing profession. Three of the most important suggestions when it comes to self-care are eating a nutritious diet, exercising regularly and practicing various stress-reduction techniques:
- Diet: Seek the help of a registered dietitian or use your own nursing knowledge to develop an eating plan appropriate for you. There is no single diet that works for everyone.
- Exercise: Exercise is a critical component of self-care. It helps relieve stress and boost endorphins. Choose exercise activities you enjoy. Not only are you more likely to stick with them, but you also also avoid the negative effects of forcing yourself to do something you dislike. There are many available options such as walking, running, swimming, cycling, dancing, yoga, Pilates, team sports, tennis and much more.
- Stress-reduction techniques: Beyond exercise, try hobbies, breathing exercises, laughter, music, massage or spa therapies, meditation, mental imagery or visualization, pet therapy, tai chi or qigong or writing in a journal. If you have a family, get them involved. If you have young children, get help with childcare — be it from your partner, another family member or a hired babysitter.
Other Self-care Practices for Nurses
Many of the most critical self-care practices surround how you feel and your interactions with others. Choosing a work environment where you feel supported and valued is important. If you enjoy socializing, make it a regular part of your life. If you are an introvert who requires solitude, set appropriate boundaries and let people know. Choose activities you like, not what others think you should do.
Another self-care practice involves gratitude or appreciation. Every day, write down a few elements about your life that you appreciate. Focusing on the good aspects can change your perspective and create a sense of gratitude.
Self-care for nurses is not a luxury. It is a necessity for the health and well-being of both nurses and their patients.
Learn more about UTA’s online BSN program.
