Caring for self while learning to care for others: a challenge for nursing students

J Nurs Educ. 2005 Jun;44(6):266-70. doi: 10.3928/01484834-20050601-05.

Abstract

While learning to care for others, undergraduate nursing students often fail to care for themselves. This study examined the effect of a self-care intervention on undergraduate nursing students. Self-care is the practice of health-related activities in which individuals engage to adopt a healthier lifestyle. A pretest-posttest, single group design was used to test whether students increased their self-care activities after completing a course requiring self-care. Full-time junior nursing students (N = 67) were required to complete a lifestyle self-care plan and use 2 hours of practice time per week to engage in self-care behaviors. A measure of components of a healthy lifestyle, the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II, showed an increase on six of the seven scales. These findings suggest that nursing students may increase self-care when given time to develop self-care strategies as part of a nursing course.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attitude of Health Personnel
  • Curriculum
  • Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / organization & administration*
  • Educational Measurement
  • Empathy
  • Female
  • Goals
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Health Promotion
  • Humans
  • Life Style
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Midwestern United States
  • Models, Educational
  • Models, Psychological
  • Nursing Education Research
  • Patient Care Planning
  • Program Evaluation
  • Self Care* / methods
  • Self Care* / psychology
  • Students, Nursing / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Writing