Learning to Save Lives and Your Own Mental Health

Maintaining Your Mental Health

Studying for exams, writing essays, and preparing for clinical rotations – what do these have in common among nursing students? If you guessed that they’re sources of stress commonly experienced throughout nursing school, you are correct. What else could you include? As you add to this list, you’ll notice how these problems pile up and exhaust a student’s mental health. Being in nursing school is stressful. Everyone knows that. However, nursing programs aren’t doing enough to help students manage it. Because of this, nursing schools should develop supportive programs to combat the increased stress and mental health issues and why future nursing students should consider the resources offered when applying for a nursing school.

"Symptoms of Depression" by Jordan Skalisky from Seattle Pacific University Wellness

Stressed Out

Students are prone to develop mental health issues due to the increased demands of nursing school. One study reports that about 1 in 3 nursing students experience symptoms of depression (Tung, et al.). Another study identifies that stress, related to anxiety, primarily comes from academic and clinical performance concerns (Pulido-Martos, et al.). Students face challenges in handling the increased workload, upholding their grades, and demonstrating competency in front of other nurses and patients. Nursing school is a learning environment, but when problems, such as anxiety, hinders students from making mistakes, it compromises their practice of becoming a nurse. Consequently, students don’t receive the education they should be.

"The Benefits of Meditation to Academic Stress" by Patricia Chaney from David Geffen School of Medicine UCLA

Your School and Your Success

To prevent these mental health issues from growing, nursing programs should promote activities that will ease stress and express their feelings. Holding post-conference discussions after clinicals allows students to reflect and share their experiences with their instructors and peers. Organizing a self-care day or week every semester increases how often mental health is checked. A speaker from the school’s health and wellness services could teach ways to practice mindfulness, cope with anxiety, and manage time that’s tailored towards nursing students. Find out how the school and faculty members are involved, explore calendars or social media to see the activities, and what services are available to enhance your support and opportunities in self-care.

"Symptoms of Anxiety" by Amanda Milligan from Mental Health First Aid

Who’s Already Doing It?

Schools should constantly look for ways to be positively involved in students’ learning to foster community rather than competition. One Los Angeles college implemented a weekly support group program where students shared their worries with other nursing students, faculty members, and licensed therapists. Students reported feeling more confident and less stressed while the school’s dropout rate decreased from 20% to 5% (Alvy). Although funding may be an issue in creating these programs, simple discussion and support groups may be a cost-efficient starting point of assessing which programs are effective and helpful for students.

Saving Your Own Mental Health

Nursing students learn to save lives and be health advocates for others, but mental health issues prevent their ability to do so. Nursing school is an ideal time to find ways to cope with their stress and prepare for the mental and emotional strain of prioritizing patients’ needs over their own. Nursing schools should regularly address the need for students to take care of their mental health by expanding the activities and services provided. For future nursing students, this means choosing a nursing program that will support your needs so that you can provide the best care for your patients.

Sources

Alvy, Diane. "Nursing Student Support Group Eases Stress." American Nurse Today, 11 May 2010, www.americannursetoday.com/nursing-student-support-group-eases-stress/. Accessed 7 Oct. 2019.

Pulido-Martos, M., et al. "Sources of Stress in Nursing Students: A Systematic Review of Quantitative Studies." International Nursing Review, vol. 59, no. 2, 2012, pp. 15-25, Wiley Online Library. doi:10.1111/j.1466-7657.2012.00995.x. Accessed 7 Oct. 2019.

Tung, Yi-Jung, et al. "Prevalence of Depression among Nursing Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Nurse Education Today, vol. 63, Apr. 2018, pp. 119-129, PubMed. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2018.01.009. Accessed 18 Oct. 2019.