The FIT Nurse

Nurses General Nursing

Published

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?

What do you guys think?

Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

The way you feel now is how fat people feel when pretty much everyone decides how they need to be. Both have put something considered very ugly out there for strangers to judge.

Learn.

Well, you see, I struggle with my weight as well due to my extremely slow metabolism. I know I can gain weight easily, even at this young age. I just meant being "healthy." My family has a history of hypothyroidism. I guess this post was too harsh. I should have chosen some words wisely.

Specializes in ER.

One problem I see the perpetuates unhealthy eating is the poor quality of snacks available at work. Plus, stress levels at work make people prone to stress eating.

Ultimately, the problem of unhealthy eating is a wider, societal one. Advertising, the car culture, lack of cooking skills in the populace, reliance on fast food, lack of time.

It will start with the young. I was glad to see the first lady tackle this issue

Specializes in Labor and Delivery.

I think everyone (not just nurses) should strive to be healthy and fit. Having said that, there is no way to judge a person by their outside appearance on whether they are living a fit and healthy lifestyle. I am overweight. Someone looking at my outward appearance may assume I am unfit or lazy or don't work out or but they would be wrong. I am not perfect in my diet and exercise however I always strive to be better. Sometimes it goes in spurts for me...I have hypothyroid and it's difficult for me to lose weight. After eating dang near perfect and exercising 5 days a week for 6 months and not seeing results (outward appearance results) that is depressing to me and I fall off the wagon so to speak. At this point in my life, I make fitness a priority regardless of how it makes me look on the outside.

Long post made short, no one knows what journey anyone else is on. That person that is 300lbs and you are judging as overweight and lazy may have been 400lbs a year ago. Be aware of your judgements, acknowledge them so you can work through them. Realize you truly cannot judge a book by its cover.

Specializes in Critical Care.
The stress involved with working bedside alone can (let's face it, WILL) drive up cortisol levels thereby increasing hunger and body fat. Wait till you work bedside for a few years then come back and tell us how you maintain your ideal weight.

I agree that the extreme stress we are under and shift work makes it even harder to lose weight, not to mention all the aches and pains from moving obese patients ironically makes it harder to exercise to lose weight as well. There are so many roadblocks in nursing that can make it difficult to maintain a fit appearance! I personally believe some people are just naturally skinny and the rest of us struggle to be thin, some are more successful than others at this. I think it is part genetics and part the frankenfood being served in America, not to mention physical diseases, meds and psychological problems. Nurses are just people that work in healthcare and we are as likely to have the same illnesses such as obesity and diabetes etc as the general population. Some people gain weight after a pregnacy, others it is age related. There are many reasons and I'm sure no one wants to be fat since there is no way to hide it and society's prejudice is so strong. Funny the prejudice exists even when the majority of Americans are overweight.

My only concern about taking care of obese patients is having adequate equipment to safely move them and many hospitals simply refuse to spend the money to provide such basic equipment as ceiling lifts and hover mats while we are routinely getting patients that are 300, 400, 500 even 600 pounds! We are just expected to use four to six people to boost them or transfer them and rarely have even a hover mat. I've actually had patients refuse to let us use the hover mat which makes me very angry and frankly I believe we should have a right to refuse to take care of a patient that would put us in danger needlessly! Our hospital also doesn't have ceiling lifts because they frankly refuse to spend the money even when they did a million dollar remodel. Why would anyone want to be a floor nurse under these circumstances?

Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

I made most of the following points on another thread, but here goes.

I'm working on getting more sleep and exercise for my overall health, although I am not overweight... but that has nothing to do with my job. I do consume more sweets and espresso drinks than I should, but I'm good with that. I'd gladly give up some years of earthly life, if the alternative was to give up my lattes and PB cups.

That said, in my line of nursing I'm way too busy trying to prevent my pt's brain from herniating, and other such manners of keeping someone alive to preach anything about weight loss. I spend exactly zero time teaching on it. But say I did; my suggestions would be based in fact. Not following that advice myself doesn't make it untrue.

Being a role model of good health is not part of the nursing process, nor is it in my job description. If a pt is ready and committed to making a lifestyle change, they are going to make it regardless of what the nurse looks like. If a pt is NOT motivated to make a change, how is seeing a fit nurse going to change that? I don't remember "Hey, look how fit I am!" ever being taught as a viable intervention according to any change theory I'm aware of. Besides, assuming the pt didn't know an obese RN prior to the hospitalization, that pt knows nothing about the RN's own health status. Maybe she HAS made a lifestyle change and is 50lbs smaller for it.

Specializes in Emergency, ICU.
Well, you see, I struggle with my weight as well due to my extremely slow metabolism. I know I can gain weight easily, even at this young age. I just meant being "healthy." My family has a history of hypothyroidism. I guess this post was too harsh. I should have chosen some words wisely.

It's OK! Really, you started a thread that got a little hot, but now, we are having a conversation about this. And, you learned something about posting. All good things.

I think smoking would be where we should start as nurses.I had several clinical instructors and the program director who smoked.I can not understand how you can learn about the damage smoking causes and still smoke! I have been told by fellow nurses they are addicted and want to quit. Food is something your body requires and in my opinion makes it that much harder to control as does busy lives we all live. I am not overweight but would like to lose 20lbs. and improve my heart health with exercise.Interesting discussion that should be discussed in a mature manner without name calling.

Well, you see, I struggle with my weight as well due to my extremely slow metabolism. I know I can gain weight easily, even at this young age. I just meant being "healthy." My family has a history of hypothyroidism. I guess this post was too harsh. I should have chosen some words wisely.

In the interest of honest dialogue (and not just dog piling on you) I would like to say that you should reconsider you belief that nurses ought to be role models who "practice what they preach". Saying we need to set examples or that being overweight or smoking or drinking is being hypocritical is just not true. We are not poster children for some healthy lifestyle. We are professionals, and our professional lives are separate from our private lives, no different than doctors or lawyers.

Now, if your point is that people in general will feel better by eating healthier and being more active, yes, of course you are correct. And in our increasingly sedentary society it is a timely subject.

But it was your implication that we, as nurses, have some duty to set a healthy example for the sake of our patients that I take issue with. I most certainly do not feel like I have such a duty. When I work out I'm doing it for me. I owe my patients nothing in that regard one way or the other.

I think smoking would be where we should start as nurses.I had several clinical instructors and the program director who smoked.I can not understand how you can learn about the damage smoking causes and still smoke! I have been told by fellow nurses they are addicted and want to quit. Food is something your body requires and in my opinion makes it that much harder to control as does busy lives we all live. I am not overweight but would like to lose 20lbs. and improve my heart health with exercise.Interesting discussion that should be discussed in a mature manner without name calling.

Well, I'm sure they would like to quit. And it as not as though the dangers of smoking is some sort of secret knowledge only healthcare professionals are privy to. It's sort of general knowledge these days.

You have to realize that smoking was once something just about everyone did. Ever see an episode of Mad Men? I remember people smoking in the supermarket as a little kid. And that was in the eighties.

I have learned so much from this post. I honestly am not judging anyone. I am not pointing fingers at anyone. I have had really hard struggles in my life...and way more that will come my way. I have read every post and it has opened my eyes. I am not perfect. I am not skinny. I don't think I know everything. I make mistakes. I say mistakes. But we all learn. Thanks for all of you who understand where I am coming from. And thanks for all of you who have opened my eyes about certain things. Hope you can accept my apologize and we can grow together. I appreciate it!

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.

Am I the only one that found this WAY more offensive than how the OP originally came off? I am not even going to address what I felt was a bit off by the OP because I have seen her apologize like 20 times now. The idea that someone would take this position with a vulnerable patient who happens to be obese is appalling.

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