How to Stay Heathy in Nursing School

Nursing school is stressful, no doubt about it. College in itself is stressful. For many, its your first time away from home, away from familiar surroundings, away from friends and family. You are on your own! So, how do you take care of yourself? Parents and our support group aren't there to help us out so....???

How to Stay Healthy at College?

The school health center is the place to get some advice. At The Ohio State University, Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, Chief Wellness Officer, assembled a simple wellness checklist for students at any school to ensure the college transition is a smooth one -- and ease every parent’s mind. Melnyk, who works at one of the country’s largest universities, became the first university official in the U.S. with the title of chief wellness officer. She holds many nursing credentials and is dean of the College of Nursing at Ohio State. She urges all new students to check off a few simple but crucial tasks to happier and healthier:

• Establish Healthy Habits: Just like you schedule your classes, also schedule time for exercise, healthy eating and stress relief.
• Find Local Health Care: Get connected with health care providers and the nearest pharmacy.
• Make Your Mental Health A Priority: Seek counseling if you feel stressed or depressed, and get involved in campus groups that interest you to start making friends.
• Find A System That Works For You: Use a planner or apps to schedule workouts, appointments or times to take medication.

Maintain Your Independence

While it's very important to maintain your independence, it is also important to be responsible for your own health. Do you know when your last tetorifice vaccination was given? How about meningitis? What health maintenance needs to be done yearly? How about cancer screenings? While most young college-aged students are reasonably healthy, it is this time of your life that you must set your healthy habits.

For students with health issues, it becomes even more important to maintain solid healthy habits. If you need prescriptions, where will you obtain them? Does your local pharmacy carry all your meds? How about insurance to pay for them? Or, if you need ongoing care, is there a provider and hospital in your insurance network? These are all issues to address BEFORE school starts.

Don't Forget Your Mental Health

Going away from home for the first time can be very anxiety-provoking. It is important to get enough sleep and eat right in order to be at your best. Going out all night, studying until the wee hours of the morning are sometimes difficult to recover from quickly. You want to be on point when you go to class. After all, what you learn at school will carry over to your first job. Being a nurse means being able to give of yourself. And you can't give if there are no reserves. If you find yourself being more anxious or even suicidal please get some help. Every college health care center has resources that are in place for students experiencing mental health issues. Take advantage of them.

College and nursing school are an exciting time. Make the most of it and graduate with your good health, ready to help your patients.

Congrats on getting accepted...