How did nursing school effect your health?

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i have heard repeated accounts of how the stress of nursing school can cause weight gain, and sometimes weight loss. i could see how health would be impacted, given that nursing schools are often compacted into 10-15 short months filled with tons of strict deadlines, loads of new information to take in, and the stress of such new exposure to the responsibilities of nursing. my question then is, how did or is nursing school effecting your health? and what advice do you have to a new student for maintaining a healthy body whilst enduring much stress?

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Specializes in LTC.

It enhanced my depression and caused increased anxiety.

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oh Jesus where do I start,

Well first, the isolation, then here comes the weight that can't come off then of course the Depression because 1.you can't work 2.nursing program is expensive, and 3. if you're depending on family to help you out sometimes I think they get a little overwhelm with the bills. 4.if you were already midway depress you will be depressed x3 , and God forbid the pressure from all aspect , Family, Friends, and School.

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Sounds like alot of depression and anxiety. Good thing it's a fairly short program...

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Specializes in Med/ Surg/ Telemetry, Public Health.

The first semester I lost like 18 lbs in about 7weeks. I was so stressed , I wasn't eating properly. When I get stressed eating is the last thing on my mind. Trying to learn tons of new info and working part time was too much for me at the time. I say you need to have good time management,to juggle everything. Eat healthy, get a good night's sleep, take vitamins, and excercise daily. You will need your energy to study and be focused in and out of class.

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I don't know if it really impacted my health. I do know I was stressed. During the spring, in the mental health course, we had to take an evaluation of our stressors. A score of 500 was considered stressed. I scored 667, but I keep on hacking away as that is life.

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I gained weight--a lot of weight. But now that I have the summer off, I lost it all and I am re-establishing healthy routines and better choices in food.

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since i started my bsn program i have gained 50 lbs. no time to prepare proper meals i.e. eating fast food too much, and no time for exercise has greatly increased my weight. between that and stress eating and i ballooned. i am hoping to restart exercise and better eating once i graduate, but these boards don't show that life gets better in the first year of a new grad nurse. this year is about finishing school, next year is to get a new grad job and get myself back to a healthier weight.

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It enhanced my depression and caused increased anxiety.

Yeah, that, and also upped my low BP to the pre-hypertensive range, too. Seriously. From all the g.d SITTING! with no time for exercising and preparing decent meals.

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I gained ~10 pounds, but I probably can't blame that solely on nursing school. My inborn love of ice cream and deep-fried food factored in as well. :smokin: It bothered me, but I'm still in the "healthy" range for my height so I tried not to stress too much about it...

I have generalized anxiety disorder, and nursing school definitely made it a lot worse. I have to work on my anxiety a lot to make sure it doesn't get the better of me. Which can be hard when you're in classes with 20 other extremely smart, motivated, and competitive people.

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Specializes in CNA/LPN.

Nursing School/Pre-Nursing has me want to stay healthy more, even with all the stress. I actually feel stress relief from going to the gym and working out often. I know once I'm in the program, I'll have less time where I'll feel like working out. I hope to still keep it up. Actually, right now, I'm a bit overweight and I would like to get lose 30lbs before going into the program, so I don't put more on, on top of what I've got going on now! Diabetes runs in my family, thick like syrup, and being overweight doesn't help my case! I am trying hard to fight it. I do not want to be a diabetic nurse. :( The least I could do is maintain a healthy body.

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My weight fluctuated in nursing school, at the start when I was really stressed I lost a lot of weight, then when I started to settle down I put on weight plus more than I had lost but when I started clinicals I lost weight but when I was back at lectures put it on again and more than I had lost. Im trying to get back into good habits though...consistent good habits lol Stress isnt good for you health......and I was stressed sometimes. Got tonsillitis a alot so got my tonsils out and a few headcolds but think that was due to not eating well causing my immune system to bit a little weak :) Just keep warm, eat well, stay hydrated and get sleep :)

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