Hello! So while I was in nursing school, I noticed a lot of nurses were unhealthy and overweight. Yes, we have little or no time to take breaks and eat, yes, we are constantly on our feet and get too tired to go to the gym, and, yes, we neglect our own health to take care of others. But, we need to be healthy and fit in order to take care of those in need. There are no excuses. That is why I think ALL nurses should practice what they preach!
I am a new RN. I have experienced the nurse life throughout nursing school, and will continue the nurse life for many more years to come. Before I decided to become a nurse, I worked in a gym since I was 15 (I am 23, almost 24 now). I started off as unhealthy, overweight, and unmotivated. When my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer and DM2 back in 2010, our whole lives changed. Our diets and exercise habits completely did a 180. I realized that this unhealthy lifestyle we were living, was doing damage to us. From that moment on, I decided to get motivated, become healthy, and put my father on the right track to becoming healthy as well (which, now, he is free of cancer and maintaining his DM2 via diet and no meds). I asked for help from a trainer at my gym (who has now been my boyfriend for over 2 years), who got me into shape, have a clean diet, and not only lose weight, but also maintain the weight loss. Diet and exercise is a lifestyle.
I am currently the healthiest I have ever been in my life. I workout everyday for at least 1 hour, including cardio and weights. On my 12 hour clinical days, I skipped the gym because that is already a workout in itself….and let's face it, by the time we get home, we get ready for bed and sleep. I made sure to have a healthy, consistent diet on my shifts. I currently still work part-time at my gym, while applying for hospital positions. The manger and owner of the gym offered me positions as a personal trainer. I am working on getting my personal training certificate. I don't want to just be that typical†nurse. I want to be that FIT nurse, who works hard, trains hard, and is a positive example to patients.
I think that ALL nurses and those in the healthcare field should practice what they preach. How can we tell patients to take their BP meds and Cholesterol meds, if we don't? How can we tell them to exercise every day, if we don't? What type of example are we to them?
Your post is extremely judgmental. Keep these opinions to yourself if you expect to get along with your co-workers and patients. You might be fit, but I'm certain that the overweight nurses can run circles around you, given that you're a new nurse.
Hopefully once you've been in the workplace for some time your opinions will change.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
people who eat their feelings, don't know how to control their feelings. Yes, as nurses, we deal with so much, but doesn't mean we have to be prompted to that negative trigger.
OK...you look cute in your picture. If I were I guy, I might even say you're hot. Feel better now that you've posted your "anti-fat nurse screed"?
If this site still exists 20 years from now, please feel free to post how you look. I won't be here to see it, but it would be interesting.
FWIW, I was a healthy weight when I graduated from nursing school, and later in life when I gained a lot of weight, I lost 100lbs with diet and exercise. Why am I fat now? In part due to having severe orthopedic issues that kept me homebound/wheelchairbound for nearly two years. Oh, yeah, I forgot. Cancer! Then cancer recurrence! Yippee skippee!
OP, you have no idea what personal struggles many of these fat nurses are enduring. You just see overweight nurses and make judgements about them. Please don't tell me you know all about their lives, because I can guarantee you...you don't.
I'm glad you have everything figured out though, and at such a young age, and so early in your career!
We're all on our own journeys. I do use becoming an RN as motivation to pursue a healthy lifestyle because yes, I do want to practice what I preach.
HOWEVER. We all have coping mechanisms, some being less healthy than others. Emotional eating just happens to be one that we can't hide well from others. Plus, some people gifted with faster metabolisms may eat garbage but appear fit, while someone with more tendency to be fluffy will work hard to eat healthy and be active all their lives. Who looks healthier? Who actually is healthier? Probably the latter.
Plus it's well known that working night shifts effects the metabolism of many. We know people's metabolisms slow down in our late 20s and practically come to a halt around menopause. Sorry toots, I'm glad you're fit, but surely you realize you probably have some advantages over some of the people you are judging. Part of being a good nurse is meeting people where they are at and helping them guide them on their journey.
These threads would come across much better if they sounded more like " we all know it can be difficult to maintain a nursing career and a healthy lifestyle at the same time. Let's share tips so that we can be healthy for ourselves and for our patients!" Instead, this sounds like "I actually try, and I'm fit, so I'm a better nurse than any of those fat slobs out there".
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Yes, I guess your right. I have infuriated many. I am new to this page, so I guess I should have been more careful. Thanks!
You didn't infuriate me. Your comments were hurtful to me, and to the many nurses I know here who battle with their weight. It concerns me if you're going to have the same, "Take no prisoners" attitude with patients who are overweight.
It's not about being careful. It's about addressing a sensitive isue with tact and compassion. Both were lacking in your OP.
people who eat their feelings, don't know how to control their feelings. Yes, as nurses, we deal with so much, but doesn't mean we have to be prompted to that negative trigger.
I find this statement condescending and ignorant.
There's a lot more to pained emotions than not controlling it.
You going to tell a rape victim, sexual abuse survivor or traumatized solider from combat that?
Maybe you could post your business card for personal training. No doubt you'll have lots of old, fat nurses lined up for you to help them. You could be the Jillian Michaels of nursing!
Yes, I guess your right. I have infuriated many. I am new to this page, so I guess I should have been more careful. Thanks!
Well, at least it's to your credit that you admitted it was a careless thing to say. Many OP's who start unpopular, pot-stirring threads run and hide when criticized.
I agree with the original poster. Most nurses are extremely unhealthy and hypocritical. How can they expect a patient to become healthy when they are not healthy or setting a good example? most hospitals do have a gym. They should not charge any fees for staff to be able to work out. obesity is the major physical downfall of the human race and a huge inconvenience to the entire world. Have you ever had to take care of an obese patient? It is terrible! it ruins my entire shift when I have to take care of an obese patient. It is a drain on the entire unit. They require special equipment and I have no pity for them. Obesity is the fault of the patient every single time. There is no genetic abnormality that makes adipose tissue and calories spontaneously appear. they almost always have diabetes, they require more than one meal tray, a special bed, special chairs, more staff to complete their activities of daily living, a lot more medications, usually have sleep apnea, usually have high blood pressure and almost always have venous stasis ulcers or a yeast infection that stinks really bad. And worst of all they are usually grumpy people with poor attitudes and they are seemingly angry at people who have taken care of themselves.
Keep it real.
Perhaps you should look up the side
effects of Prednisone before judging people so harshly.
joanna73, BSN, RN
4,767 Posts
Your post is extremely judgmental. Keep these opinions to yourself if you expect to get along with your co-workers and patients. You might be fit, but I'm certain that the overweight nurses can run circles around you, given that you're a new nurse.
Hopefully once you've been in the workplace for some time your opinions will change.