Faculty from the School of Nursing and
other health professionals on campus
met with the director of Health Services
to discuss issues related to health and
preventive services for students on campus.
The director of Health Services identified an
increase in visits to Health Services during
midterms and finals. These visits were related
to a myriad of physical complaints and
problems. This phenomenon of increased
health visits during stressful periods was
supported in the literature with data that
link the role stress plays in impairing the
immune system (Segerstrom & Miller, 2004).
A previous survey (Core, 2005), developed
by the Core Institute at Southern Illinois
University and administered on this campus,
revealed that 75% of students were sleeping
fewer than 8 hours each school night, and
only 13% of students reported sleeping at
least 5 hours on school nights. The mean
average time of going to bed was past
midnight, and 32.71% of students never
engaged in relaxation exercises.