Self-Care for Caring Practice: Student Nurses’ Perspectives

This study took place in Western Canada; it examined undergraduate nursing students’ self-care behaviors. The researchers developed a 27-item questionnaire asking students about sleep, exercise, diet, fluid intake, weight, checkups, relaxation, complementary therapy use, alcohol intake, health goals, and smoking habits. Of 330 degree, diploma, and post-diploma nursing students, 211 students responded to the questionnaire. The majority of students reported that they engaged in health-promoting selfcare behaviors. However, it seems that busy schedules often prevented students from having enough sleep, fluid, exercise, and self-care activities. The majority of the students reported that they used complementary therapies.