A Moment for Mental Health : Nursing Student and Nurse Educator Perspectives By Vanessa Suponch and Lori A . Sutton
The Nursing Student ’ s Perspective . I was excited when I was accepted into the nursing program , but with that excitement came anxiety and expectations . Sometimes , the highest expectations come from within ourselves . That , coupled with external influences and pressure , can cause unwarranted stress on the mental and physical body . Nursing students face some of the most rigorous mental challenges in and out of the classroom . Students can get so caught up in academics that we forget to take a minute to reset and breathe .
Nursing students are responsible for more than just taking exams and attending class ; we must think critically and apply sound judgment . Mental health issues , such as depression and anxiety , decrease communication ability and impair the cognitive process , which can lead to poor clinical outcomes ( Sonmez et al ., 2023 ). The ability to think clearly and make sound decisions is necessary in this field . College students are at significant risk for developing mental illness yet have the lowest rates for seeking treatment . Prelicensure nursing students perceive higher stress and anxiety levels than the general college student population ( Owen & Pfeiffer , 2023 ). This creates a cascade of stress that requires coping skills . Each student should be responsible for developing self-care practices and follow them to keep a healthy mind throughout the program . In addition to students maintaining their mental health , faculty can also play a role in students ’ mental health by ensuring that they have the appropriate resources , should they need them .
I have always held myself to unnecessarily high standards . I wanted to be a neurosurgeon . The brain fascinates me . It makes us who we are . If we do not care for our brain , it can alter who we are . During my psych semester , I was so hyper-focused on maintaining my grades that I became upset when I got a B grade . All I focused on was school . I continually said “ no ” to going out with friends and family , rarely took breaks while studying , and slept about four hours a night . I got mostly A grades , but by the end of the semester , I felt depleted and exhausted . I had not even realized how bad it was ; other people had to tell me . I eventually asked for help .
Finding the things in your life that give you happiness , even momentarily , will significantly increase your mental health . Although society is more accepting of people seeking help for mental health issues , a stigma still exists which hinders individuals from seeking help . As a community , we need to ensure that students do not feel afraid to seek help if they need it . Creating a positive environment as well as knowing the available resources within colleges and in the community help students to create a more cohesive and healthier nursing school experience .
The Nurse Educator ’ s Perspective . I began my career as a nurse educator during the COVID 19 pandemic . During my online onboarding as a new faculty member , another faculty shared her practice of having students enter the class and perform a “ brain dump .” The “ brain dump ” is an activity in which students write out their thoughts , concerns , and worries for one minute ( Feyoh , 2023 ). This allows students to untangle their thoughts in writing and opens them up to learning and to being more productive . This practice evolved into developing a “ moment for mental health ” at the beginning of each class that I teach .
The American College Health Association ’ s National College Health Assessment documented that “ 48 % of college students report moderate or severe psychological stress ” ( American College Health Association , 2021 ). Stress , depression , and anxiety among nursing students have been reported globally ( Sonmez et al ., 2023 ). The prevalence of depression in nursing students is 34.0 % compared to 4.7 % in the general population ( Sonmez et al ., 2023 ). In August 2020 , the American Association of Colleges of Nursing ( AACN ) initiated a call to action for academic nurse leaders to promote practices to enhance optimal well-being , resilience , and suicide prevention in nursing schools across the United States ( AACN , 2023 ). Providing a moment for mental health at the start of the lecture supports this initiative .
In course evaluations , students have consistently had positive remarks about adding the moment for mental health in courses . The moment for mental health is approximately three to five minutes at the start of each lecture . The purpose of sharing the moment for mental health is three-pronged : first , to learn and practice evidence-based self-care strategies to improve and maintain mental health ; second , to normalize the dialogue and conversation around mental health in the classroom community ; and third , to learn strategies to share with future patients and families . I have shared some of the following strategies as mental health moments in class :
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