Abstract
Nurses care for people each day in many settings such as hospitals,
physician offices, schools, and public health facilities. Such positions often
require nurses to work variable and long hours, exposing them to the
stressors of caring for people who are ill. These stressors can support poor
food choices that adversely affect the health and well-being of the nurse.
Nurses are also an integral part of providing nutrition related information to
patients. As such, patients may be very cognizant of the health habits of
their nurses. Eating for good health is one way that nurses can reduce the
impact of stressors on the body and positively influence their health,
allowing them to better care for patients and themselves. This article
reviews two common nutrition related areas of concern to nurses,
stressors, inflammation, and nutrition
and
sleep and eating patterns
, that
can lead to obesity.
Knowledge and attitudes about nutrition education
are
also discussed briefly. Finally, the article offers a review of
nutrition basics
for nurses
and suggestions to avoid potential
food pitfalls
common for
nurses.