Abstract
Nursing students are taught to promote self-care for patients, but they often neglect their own self-care.1 Stress, combined with lack of effective coping strategies, can lead to burnout and health problems among nursing students.2 Interventions designed to improve self-care practices of nursing students are needed to reduce stress and improve well-being.3 The purpose of this study was to examine the self-care practices and needs of baccalaureate nursing students to inform a curricular intervention. This study used a cross-sectional descriptive survey design involving baccalaureate nursing students (N=112) at a liberal arts college in the Midwestern United States. Self-care practices were examined using the 52-item Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLPII)4 which provides an overall score in addition to six subscale scores. Survey items used a Likert scale from 1) never to 4) routinely. Nursing students also responded to questions regarding their interest in a future self-care elective course. Data were analyzed in Microsoft Excel using descriptive statistics. The overall health promoting lifestyle mean score was 2.68 (SD=.31). Subscale scores were as follows: 1) Health Responsibility: Mean=2.11, SD=.40; 2) Physical Activity: Mean=2.65, SD=.61; 3) Nutrition: Mean=2.47, SD=.41; 4) Spiritual Growth: Mean=3.13, SD=.45; 5) Interpersonal Relations: Mean=3.28, SD=.44; 6) Stress Management: Mean=2.42, SD=.48. Seventy percent of students were either interested (n=39) or very interested (n=39) in taking a nursing self-care elective course. Students were most interested in physical activity (n=45), nutrition (n=43), and mindfulness (n=42) as course activities, followed by sleep (n=36) and journaling (n=32). Overall, nursing students demonstrated positive scores on the spiritual growth and interpersonal relations subscales of the HPLPII. Scores on the physical activity, nutrition, and stress management HPLPII subscales indicated room for improvement. Interest level in a future self-care elective nursing course was high. Limitations include the potential for self-reporting bias and lack of generalizability. Offering a self-care elective course within a nursing curriculum may be an innovative way to promote the self-care practices of nursing students. Strengthening self-care practices may also enhance students’ transition to the nursing workforce, reducing stress, and preventing burnout.5
Notes
References: 1. Garmaise-Yee, J. S., & LeBlanc, R. G. (2021). Reducing stress and increasing mindfulness in nursing students: An online mindfulness intervention study. Nursing Education Perspectives, 43(6), 375-377. doi:10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000887
2. Brouwer, K. R., Walmsley, L. A., Parrish, E. M., McCubbin, A. K., Welsh, J. D., Braido, C. E. C., & Okoli, C. (2021). Examining the associations between self-care practices and psychological distress among nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurse Education Today, 100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.104864
3. Aloufi, M. A., Jarden, R. J., Gerdtz, M. F., & Kapp, S. (2021). Reducing stress, anxiety and depression in undergraduate nursing students: Systematic review. Nurse Education Today, 102, 104877. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2021.104877
4. Walker, S., & Hill-Polerecky, D. M. (1997). Psychometric evaluation of the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II. Unpublished manuscript, University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Nursing. https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/85349
5. Stubin, C. (2023). Steps toward a resilient future nurse workforce. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2022-0057
Sigma Membership
Kappa Epsilon at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Curriculum Development, Stress and Coping, Transition to Practice, Onboarding
Recommended Citation
Voskuil, Vicki Renee; Marion, Ellie; Peirce, Hannah; and Frost, Erika, "Examining the Self-Care Practices and Needs of Baccalaureate Nursing Students" (2025). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 46.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2025/presentations_2025/46
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Examining the Self-Care Practices and Needs of Baccalaureate Nursing Students
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Nursing students are taught to promote self-care for patients, but they often neglect their own self-care.1 Stress, combined with lack of effective coping strategies, can lead to burnout and health problems among nursing students.2 Interventions designed to improve self-care practices of nursing students are needed to reduce stress and improve well-being.3 The purpose of this study was to examine the self-care practices and needs of baccalaureate nursing students to inform a curricular intervention. This study used a cross-sectional descriptive survey design involving baccalaureate nursing students (N=112) at a liberal arts college in the Midwestern United States. Self-care practices were examined using the 52-item Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLPII)4 which provides an overall score in addition to six subscale scores. Survey items used a Likert scale from 1) never to 4) routinely. Nursing students also responded to questions regarding their interest in a future self-care elective course. Data were analyzed in Microsoft Excel using descriptive statistics. The overall health promoting lifestyle mean score was 2.68 (SD=.31). Subscale scores were as follows: 1) Health Responsibility: Mean=2.11, SD=.40; 2) Physical Activity: Mean=2.65, SD=.61; 3) Nutrition: Mean=2.47, SD=.41; 4) Spiritual Growth: Mean=3.13, SD=.45; 5) Interpersonal Relations: Mean=3.28, SD=.44; 6) Stress Management: Mean=2.42, SD=.48. Seventy percent of students were either interested (n=39) or very interested (n=39) in taking a nursing self-care elective course. Students were most interested in physical activity (n=45), nutrition (n=43), and mindfulness (n=42) as course activities, followed by sleep (n=36) and journaling (n=32). Overall, nursing students demonstrated positive scores on the spiritual growth and interpersonal relations subscales of the HPLPII. Scores on the physical activity, nutrition, and stress management HPLPII subscales indicated room for improvement. Interest level in a future self-care elective nursing course was high. Limitations include the potential for self-reporting bias and lack of generalizability. Offering a self-care elective course within a nursing curriculum may be an innovative way to promote the self-care practices of nursing students. Strengthening self-care practices may also enhance students’ transition to the nursing workforce, reducing stress, and preventing burnout.5
Description
This study examined the self-care practices and educational needs of baccalaureate nursing students to inform a future curricular intervention. Survey results showed that nursing students' self-care strengths included relationships and spiritual growth. However, they need improvement with physical activity, nutrition, and stress management. Most students expressed an interest in taking a self-care elective nursing course with priority topics being physical activity, nutrition, and mindfulness.