The importance of self-care for improving student nurse wellbeing

As a third-year student nurse in the final 6 months of my course, I am about to join the workforce and begin a new ‘extended placement’, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a student nurse, I am a caregiver, and I understand the importance of supporting patients, families and colleagues. However, sometimes this can affect my own wellbeing. It is therefore important that I develop coping strategies that can nurture my own mental and physical wellbeing, thus enabling me to have the capacity to deliver safe, high-quality patient-centred care. Research into the benefits of supporting staff wellbeing is growing, with increasing recognition and understanding within the healthcare system that well supported staff are not only beneficial for the individual's health, but can also make us better and safer clinicians.

The primary duties of protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of the workforce are the responsibility of employers, but I believe there are several self-care practices that I can use to improve my own wellbeing. I have always had a keen passion for discovering strategies to improve my physical and mental wellbeing. In these uncertain times I know how important it is to maintain these self-care rituals. These can include taking allocated breaks, staying active and practising mindfulness. I have chosen to focus on these self-care practices myself, as I feel they have benefitted me most throughout my nursing degree.