Influencing Exercise and Hydration Self-Care Practices of Baccalaureate Nursing Students.

PURPOSE: Health promotion is often neglected by students during their nursing education, yet research indicates that self-care practices can significantly reduce compassion fatigue and burnout. An intervention study investigated strategies to increase exercise and hydration in baccalaureate nursing students.

METHOD: Using a convenience sample ( n = 73), data were collected through pre- and postsurveys of nursing students participating in an 8-week period that focused on strategies to increase walking and drinking water.

FINDINGS: Several significant trends emerged from the study participants ( n = 21). Younger (18-25 years) students perceived their health status as excellent to good, while older (26-50+ years) students viewed their health status as fair to poor. Although no significant difference in exercise occurred between pre- and postsurvey, a trend of an increase in frequency was noted. A dramatic increase of nearly 16 ounces in water consumption was reported on both clinical ( p = .032) and nonclinical ( p = .028) days. The findings are supported by Pender's health promotion model concept of self-efficacy.

CONCLUSION: The frequency of exercise and amount of hydration increased during the 8-week intervention period. Despite a small sample size and short intervention period, results merit further research on the positive influences of self-care practices in nursing students.