Physical fitness in pre-registration nursing students

Aim To pilot the acceptability to practising nurses of the concept of being healthy role models as regards obesity and weight. Background Nursing standards expect nurses to act as role models of professionalism, including maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Many healthcare employers wish to instigate values and social norms about professional behaviour in staff. Methods A mixed methods study comprising two stages. In Stage One, an online survey was used to develop an intervention, which was then evaluated by a rapid intercept survey with open‐ended questions. Insights from 71 obese nurses, recruited at a 2016 nursing conference, were used to develop a social marketing campaign encouraging a social norm around professional behaviour as regards healthy lifestyles and obesity, with the message that “first impressions count” in staff‐patient encounters. The campaign was tested with 79 nurses at three English hospitals. Results In Stage One, 58% agreed that nurses should be role models and 48% that being obese made the public less likely to trust their public health messages. In Stage Two, the campaign concept of “first impressions count” was widely understood and accepted, but nurses found the introduction of a professional expectation around personal behaviours unacceptable. Conclusion Nurses accept an expectation that they are healthy role models but refute its value when confronted with real‐life scenarios. Other aspects of identity were privileged to avoid engaging with the healthy role model message. Personal health behaviour was seen as part of a private domain and not part of their public presentation in professional life.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nurses as role models in health promotion: Piloting the acceptability of a social marketing campaign

Wills

Kelly

Frings

2018

“…Some have called for greater monitoring of nurses’ lifestyles and the future inclusion of role modelling healthy behaviours as an explicit duty of nurses (Orr et al . , While ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Should nurses be role models for healthy lifestyles? Results from a modified Delphi study

Kelly

Wills

Jester

et al. 2016

“…Nurses bear responsibility for maintaining their standard of physical fitness despite critics arguing that self‐monitoring lacks rigour and may inhibit nurses from fulfilling their health promotion role (Orr, McGrouther, & McCaig, ). Some universities recommend a high standard of fitness for their undergraduate nursing students categorized as physical attributes of strength, mobility and sustainable performance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exercise, fitness and musculoskeletal health of undergraduate nursing students: A cross‐sectional study

Pugh

Cormack

Gelder

et al. 2019

Aims:To describe the exercise, physical fitness and musculoskeletal health of nursing students.Background: Nursing students are prone to musculoskeletal disorders restricting work ability. Physical fitness and leisure-time exercise may affect responses to workplace exposures and risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Design:A cross-sectional study. Method:Between August 2013 and April 2015, a convenience sample of 111 nursing students performed submaximal exercise tests. Nursing work, exercise and musculoskeletal health were surveyed and analysed descriptively.Results: Students' mean age was 30.0 years, 89.2% were female and 20.0% worked in nursing while studying. Highest annual prevalence of musculoskeletal trouble was in low back (45.6%), neck (32.0%) and shoulder (18.5%) regions. Most exercised regularly but did not meet weekly cardiorespiratory, resistance, neuromotor and flexibility exercise recommendations and had poor to average fitness levels. Approximately 40% were overweight or obese; 26.1% had risk for obesity-related disease. Conclusions:Interventions to improve nursing students' physical condition before entering the nursing workforce appear warranted. Impact: Imbalance between physical work capacity and demanding workloads increases musculoskeletal disorder risk amongst undergraduate nursing students. A large proportion studied reported recent musculoskeletal trouble (particularly low back, neck and shoulder). They exhibited modifiable characteristics of overweight/ obese, poor fitness and inadequate leisure-time exercise, predisposing them to workrelated musculoskeletal disorders. Undergraduate preparation should raise nursing students' health literacy about physical fitness and ways to achieve it, for their | 2111 PUGH et al.