Wellness Wednesdays

Arras Foundation Presentation 2_edited_e

Background

Nurses are considered essential workers, and while this line of work can be very rewarding, the physical and mental demand of the job can be damaging to the wellness of these healthcare professionals. As a result of the increased demand of healthcare providers since Covid, many nurses are forced to work long hours on their feet, critically think at the drop of a hat to ensure the best care is given to multiple patients at a time. A survey conducted by McKinsey & Co. found that “…64% of nurses reported feeling a ‘great deal of stress’ (University of Tulsa).” I believe that it’s important for healthcare providers to find a positive outlet they can use to relieve their stress so they can perform to the best of their ability when they are working. In my Nursing 208 class, I learned about protocols and in-depth processes of nursing that require extensive thought and focus. Practicing techniques to prioritize the overall wellness of nurses before their shifts will ensure the safety of their patients. When nurses have an outlet to relieve their stress they come to work refreshed and eager to help with patient care so they may be less likely to slip up and cause errors on the job. In my key insight, I highlighted the importance of completing tasks with intention to avoid human error. Another factor that can play a role in human error is working while experiencing mental exhaustion which may lead to making simple mistakes and using workarounds or shortcuts to complete tasks as a result of burnout.

“When comparing nursing to other non-nursing staff within the hospital program, nurses had lower mean daily levels of health-enhancing physical activity… (Oreskovic, Nicolas M et al.).” While working as a research assistant on a study looking at the body composition of NJCAA female athletes, I have learned the importance of engaging in regular physical activity to improve the longevity and quality of a person’s life. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that the average person receives at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity for 5 days a week, totaling to about 150 minutes of MVPA per week. Not only can engaging in physical activity improve a person’s physical health but also their mental health. A study found in a medical journal stated that “…among those who exercise, the number of poor mental health days dropped by more than 40 percent (UCLA Health).”

Goal and Implementation

In an attempt to improve the overall wellbeing of nursing students I would like to start a club at USCL called Wellness Wednesdays. This program will be conducted in 2 sessions during spring semester with the first meeting beginning after winter break and ending right before spring break and the second session following spring break and ending at the last week of the school year. I believe 2 sessions may be helpful to split the number of people attending so people do not feel overwhelmed if there is a large number of participants. I chose to pick the spring semester because I assume that the weather will be a little warmer especially as we get closer to the end of the school year which may encourage more people to join. I also believe that at least the nursing students who are in their freshman and sophomore years usually have a less demanding workload during the spring. An email will be sent out every Wednesday throughout both 8-week sessions to all the nursing majors as well as the nursing faculty at USCL inviting them to meet up at the Lindsey Pettus Greenway trail in Lancaster, SC from 3-4 PM.

Before the first session, I will send out an email where I will:

Ask students and faculty, in the spirit of wellness, to email me their favorite healthy recipe.
- This is so at the end of every club meeting I can share a healthy recipe that students and faculty can use if they so wish to practice healthy eating during the week.
Ask participants to come dressed in workout attire.
Ask students and faculty to bring their own water bottle (water will also be provided for those who prefer to get one at the meet up site).
Will have instructions regarding inclement weather explaining that attendees will miss an in-person meeting and will be invited to join a virtual zoom call where they can exercise indoors and connect with other attendees on the call, if they desire to do so.

Location and Activities

Once students and faculty arrive at the trail, they will be asked to sign an attendance sheet to ensure I am able to connect with them. At this point, attendees will be encouraged to engage in physical activity including walking, running, or jogging at their leisure. During this time, they can connect and debrief with fellow nursing students and faculty if they desire to do so while spending time exercising in the outdoors. I will make specified workouts for each meeting whether that be something like a 2-mile run or a leisure 3 mile walk, and lead for anyone that prefers a more structured workout and would like to join. It would be necessary to reserve the trail for this club meeting every week so I would have to contact the City of Lancaster’s Events & Promotions Office to see if this would be possible.

Materials

Since I am providing plastic water bottles for the students at every meeting, I would have to purchase a 40 pack of Wesley Farms Purified Water from BJ’s Wholesale which would cost $3.99. Depending on how quickly we go through this pack of water will determine how much money would be spent on water bottles for each session.

Volunteers

In addition to water bottles, I would also send out an email at the beginning of the session to ask if 2 students would be willing to collaborate per week on a small healthy snack they can bring for all of the attendees. There would be an excel healthy snack schedule sent out via email so students and faculty can add their names to each week. After viewing how many students and faculty have signed up to bring snacks and submit healthy recipes, if I do not have enough volunteers during the session I will take responsibility for bringing snacks or providing recipes for those times to ensure consistency.

Communication

After the meeting concludes, students and faculty will receive another email thanking them for their participation which will also include the healthy recipe mentioned earlier that students and faculty can use if they wish. As a research assistant in our study, athletes were asked to wear accelerometers which are small devices that strap around their waist. This device was used to measure their step counts as well as how long they spend in varying levels of physical activity. Similarly, to help attendees track their exercise I will encourage them to wear an Apple Watch or other fitness device to track their steps and physical activity during these meetings. At the end of each session, there will be an optional Google form sent out so students and faculty can document their total step counts daily during the 8 weeks. The person with the highest step count over each session will win a $25 Amazon gift card.

Feedback and Evaluation

At the end of the first session, I will send out a survey on a Google form for students to fill out so I can determine the success of the meetings. As a result of attending this program participants will provide feedback using a scale from 1-10 on how much they feel their physical and mental wellbeing has improved since participating in this club, how much they enjoyed this club, how likely they are to recommend this club to other students, and an open response question where they have a chance to provide feedback for how to improve this club. Using this feedback, I would make adjustments to the logistics of the club in the hopes that more people will want to join. It is my goal to have at least 16 attendees per session join the club during the spring semester. Since there is usually around 120 or less students in the nursing program, I believe 16 people is an attainable and realistic goal to start out with.

Conclusion

I anticipate by implementing Wellness Wednesdays nursing students will learn healthy strategies to manage their stress which can be used to help find balance while pursuing a career in the nursing field. Just like how we tracked physical activity with accelerometers during our research, club members will be encouraged to wear fitness tracking devices to account for their daily step counts which will help get them in the habit of achieving a healthy lifestyle.

Making a habit of prioritizing time spent doing activities to improve their health will teach students how to achieve an appropriate work-life balance as they enter the workforce. This connects back to my key insight as helping nursing students practice habits that improve their overall wellness will help them to show up to work with a clear head every day. Thus making them more effective in completing tasks with intention to eliminate human error and protect the safety of them and their patients.

Works Cited

Oreskovic, Nicolas M et al. “Physical Activity Patterns, Satisfaction, and Quality of Life Among Nursing and non-Nursing Staff in an Office-Based Care Coordination Program.” SAGE open nursing vol. 9 23779608231172655. 25Apr. 2023, doi:10.1177/23779608231172655\

Uclahealth. “The Link between Exercise and Mental Health.” UCLA Health, 17 Oct. 2018, www.uclahealth.org/news/article/the-link-between-exercise-and-mental-health.

University of Tulsa. “Mental Health for Nurses: Statistics and Resources.” Mental Health for Nurses: Statistics and Resources | The University of Tulsa, 1 Mar. 2024, online.utulsa.edu/blog/mental-health-for-nurses/.