ANALYSIS
Inspiring stories kick-start the Eat Well, Nurse Well campaign Nursing Standard’s campaign aims to improve health workers’ nutrition. Alistair Kleebauer talks to two nurses who have changed their eating habits Now and then: deputy sister Rachael Maiden (inset and below) took action after a patient commented on her weight
It took a challenging comment from a patient to give Rachael Maiden the push she needed to change her attitude to food. A deputy sister in the medical assessment unit at University Hospital Llandough, Cardiff, Ms Maiden had long struggled with her weight, grabbing ready meals and chocolate bars to see her through shifts. As a size 16-18, her uniform had started to feel tight. It was while giving advice on smoking cessation to a patient two years ago that Ms Maiden realised things had to change. ‘The patient said I could not give health advice because I “clearly loved my food”,’ she recalls. ‘It was an embarrassing and upsetting experience. I did feel a bit hypocritical
giving health advice to patients.’ Rather than turning to a crash diet to shed the extra pounds, Ms Maiden joined her local Slimming World group. She followed a balanced eating plan to replace the ready meals, crisps and chocolate that she used to rely on to see her through a shift (see box below). Ms Maiden has lost 3st 4lbs since embarking on her healthy eating drive in July 2012 and is sharing her story as part of Nursing Standard’s new campaign Eat Well, Nurse Well.
Employers’ role
Our campaign aims to inspire nurses to choose healthy food – and we will be urging employers to do their bit in providing nurses with a choice of meals and snacks. As part of our campaign, we are conducting a UK-wide survey to find
Before and after – Rachael Maiden’s food diary
MARTIN CHAINEY
Before Breakfast – Two slices of white bread with butter. Lunch – Sandwiches. Snacks – Crisps and chocolates, usually brought in by patients and visitors as a ‘thank you’ to staff. Dinner – Full-fat chips and burgers. Ready meals if working a late shift. After Breakfast – Fruit and
yoghurt if at work. If at home, a cooked breakfast, but cooked in a healthy way with low-fat alternatives and wholemeal bread. Lunch – Leftovers from a healthy dinner, such as chilli con carne, brought into work and warmed up. Snacks – Low-calorie snack bars. Dinner – Healthy lasagnes, curries, chilli con carne, which are cooked in batches and then frozen into portion sizes so they can be reheated on return from work.
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ANALYSIS
out more about your eating habits and what can be done to improve the choice of food offered in your workplace canteen. Ms Maiden says that preparing her meals in advance and reheating them at work is a good way to avoid the temptation of vending machine snacks. She has also made minor changes to the way she prepares meals. She now uses a low-fat cooking spray instead of oil, and tries to oven bake food instead of frying. Ms Maiden is now a size 8-10 and says she feels more confident in giving healthy living advice to her patients. ‘The patients do not judge me now,’ she adds. ‘I will share my experience and say to them “I’ve been there, I’ve done it”. They are also more open with me, because they feel they can talk to me about it.’ A key part of Eat Well, Nurse Well campaign is to urge employers to improve food choices on offer in canteens and vending machines – but also give nurses enough time to sit down and eat a meal. Slimming World partnerships manager Paul Sharpe says there needs to be a change of culture in the NHS to help staff improve their diet. ‘It could be by making sure there is sufficient cover so people can take a break,’ he adds. ‘There needs to be a general culture shift, such as improving the catering, providing healthy eating options, raising the quality of the food in vending machines and ensuring there are kettles, microwaves and fridges so staff can bring in meals.’ Healthy eating should also be a key consideration for those at the start of their nursing career, according to London South Bank University professor of health promotion Jane Wills. Professor Wills is working on a three-year study monitoring the health of a cohort of nursing students at the university. Of 244 nursing students surveyed as part of the research, 93 per cent
agreed that being seen as a role model for a healthy lifestyle was important for a nurse. She says it is vital good eating habits are encouraged in nursing students. ‘The majority of nursing students are still young,’ Professor Wills adds. This is the time to develop habits that will benefit them throughout a demanding career. There is evidence that nurses who have less healthy behaviours are less likely to raise those issues with patients.’ For nursing student Louise Daniel, who started a three-year nursing degree at the University of Essex earlier this month, the thought of not being able to do her dream job spurred her on to change her eating habits.
‘IF YOU STRUGGLE TO LOSE WEIGHT, DO NOT BEAT YOURSELF UP ABOUT IT... CARRY ON’ – Louise Daniel Before starting her access to nursing course last year, she weighed almost 21 stone and worried about how she would communicate healthy eating messages to patients. ‘I was worried about having to tell someone if their weight was an issue. If my own weight is an issue when I am 21 stone, I cannot tell them that.’
Weight loss
‘I also wanted to be able to cope with 12 and 13-hour shifts,’ Ms Daniel says. She made the decision to lose weight in April 2013 and is now just a pound away from losing eight stone. Like Ms Maiden, she brings prepared meals into university and eats plenty of vegetables, rather than less healthy alternatives, to make sure she feels full. Her advice to those wanting to follow in her footsteps is simple. ‘Go for it,’ she says. ‘If you struggle, do not beat yourself up about it... carry on’ NS To take part in our survey go to www. surveymonkey.com/s/eatwellnursewell
What staff are saying on Facebook and Twitter ‘Ideally staff should set an example, but they face the same pressures as the rest of the population, such as money, time and so on.’ ‘The best way to eat healthily as a nurse is to snack on things like bananas and fruit and nuts as snacks – no salt.’ ‘It’s so important to eat healthily yet so challenging to do this all the time.’ ‘Our restaurant stops serving hot meals at 2pm, and if you are lucky you can get a jacket potato or a cheese-laden panini.’ ‘It costs £6 for a meal where I work, and it is as bland as anything. I take my own food in nowdays.’ ‘I work in a small community hospitals where the canteen shuts at 1.30pm. The only way to get food after this is to bring it in yourself.’ ‘The trust where I am a student nurse does have a salad bar, but getting down to the canteen, getting served, sitting down to eat and returning to work within half an hour is difficult.’ ‘Employers need to address shift patterns, the lack of staff facilities in many hospitals, and pressure of work that prevents breaks and nurses finishing shifts on time.’ ‘When you work a long day, when do you get to eat supper? It is too early when you come on shift, and too late when you get home at 9pm.’ ‘Our hospital kitchen delivers home-cooked food made with fresh ingredients daily, I cannot fault it.’
NURSING :: vol 29without no 4 ::permission. 2014 15 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 21, 2015. For personalseptember use only. No24 other uses Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
Inspiring stories kick-start the Eat Well, Nurse Well campaign Nursing Standard’s campaign aims to improve health workers’ nutrition. Alistair Kleebauer talks to two nurses who have changed their eating habits Now and then: deputy sister Rachael Maiden (inset and below) took action after a patient commented on her weight
It took a challenging comment from a patient to give Rachael Maiden the push she needed to change her attitude to food. A deputy sister in the medical assessment unit at University Hospital Llandough, Cardiff, Ms Maiden had long struggled with her weight, grabbing ready meals and chocolate bars to see her through shifts. As a size 16-18, her uniform had started to feel tight. It was while giving advice on smoking cessation to a patient two years ago that Ms Maiden realised things had to change. ‘The patient said I could not give health advice because I “clearly loved my food”,’ she recalls. ‘It was an embarrassing and upsetting experience. I did feel a bit hypocritical
giving health advice to patients.’ Rather than turning to a crash diet to shed the extra pounds, Ms Maiden joined her local Slimming World group. She followed a balanced eating plan to replace the ready meals, crisps and chocolate that she used to rely on to see her through a shift (see box below). Ms Maiden has lost 3st 4lbs since embarking on her healthy eating drive in July 2012 and is sharing her story as part of Nursing Standard’s new campaign Eat Well, Nurse Well.
Employers’ role
Our campaign aims to inspire nurses to choose healthy food – and we will be urging employers to do their bit in providing nurses with a choice of meals and snacks. As part of our campaign, we are conducting a UK-wide survey to find
Before and after – Rachael Maiden’s food diary
MARTIN CHAINEY
Before Breakfast – Two slices of white bread with butter. Lunch – Sandwiches. Snacks – Crisps and chocolates, usually brought in by patients and visitors as a ‘thank you’ to staff. Dinner – Full-fat chips and burgers. Ready meals if working a late shift. After Breakfast – Fruit and
yoghurt if at work. If at home, a cooked breakfast, but cooked in a healthy way with low-fat alternatives and wholemeal bread. Lunch – Leftovers from a healthy dinner, such as chilli con carne, brought into work and warmed up. Snacks – Low-calorie snack bars. Dinner – Healthy lasagnes, curries, chilli con carne, which are cooked in batches and then frozen into portion sizes so they can be reheated on return from work.
STANDARD Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 21, 2015. For personal use only. NoNURSING other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
ANALYSIS
out more about your eating habits and what can be done to improve the choice of food offered in your workplace canteen. Ms Maiden says that preparing her meals in advance and reheating them at work is a good way to avoid the temptation of vending machine snacks. She has also made minor changes to the way she prepares meals. She now uses a low-fat cooking spray instead of oil, and tries to oven bake food instead of frying. Ms Maiden is now a size 8-10 and says she feels more confident in giving healthy living advice to her patients. ‘The patients do not judge me now,’ she adds. ‘I will share my experience and say to them “I’ve been there, I’ve done it”. They are also more open with me, because they feel they can talk to me about it.’ A key part of Eat Well, Nurse Well campaign is to urge employers to improve food choices on offer in canteens and vending machines – but also give nurses enough time to sit down and eat a meal. Slimming World partnerships manager Paul Sharpe says there needs to be a change of culture in the NHS to help staff improve their diet. ‘It could be by making sure there is sufficient cover so people can take a break,’ he adds. ‘There needs to be a general culture shift, such as improving the catering, providing healthy eating options, raising the quality of the food in vending machines and ensuring there are kettles, microwaves and fridges so staff can bring in meals.’ Healthy eating should also be a key consideration for those at the start of their nursing career, according to London South Bank University professor of health promotion Jane Wills. Professor Wills is working on a three-year study monitoring the health of a cohort of nursing students at the university. Of 244 nursing students surveyed as part of the research, 93 per cent
agreed that being seen as a role model for a healthy lifestyle was important for a nurse. She says it is vital good eating habits are encouraged in nursing students. ‘The majority of nursing students are still young,’ Professor Wills adds. This is the time to develop habits that will benefit them throughout a demanding career. There is evidence that nurses who have less healthy behaviours are less likely to raise those issues with patients.’ For nursing student Louise Daniel, who started a three-year nursing degree at the University of Essex earlier this month, the thought of not being able to do her dream job spurred her on to change her eating habits.
‘IF YOU STRUGGLE TO LOSE WEIGHT, DO NOT BEAT YOURSELF UP ABOUT IT... CARRY ON’ – Louise Daniel Before starting her access to nursing course last year, she weighed almost 21 stone and worried about how she would communicate healthy eating messages to patients. ‘I was worried about having to tell someone if their weight was an issue. If my own weight is an issue when I am 21 stone, I cannot tell them that.’
Weight loss
‘I also wanted to be able to cope with 12 and 13-hour shifts,’ Ms Daniel says. She made the decision to lose weight in April 2013 and is now just a pound away from losing eight stone. Like Ms Maiden, she brings prepared meals into university and eats plenty of vegetables, rather than less healthy alternatives, to make sure she feels full. Her advice to those wanting to follow in her footsteps is simple. ‘Go for it,’ she says. ‘If you struggle, do not beat yourself up about it... carry on’ NS To take part in our survey go to www. surveymonkey.com/s/eatwellnursewell
What staff are saying on Facebook and Twitter ‘Ideally staff should set an example, but they face the same pressures as the rest of the population, such as money, time and so on.’ ‘The best way to eat healthily as a nurse is to snack on things like bananas and fruit and nuts as snacks – no salt.’ ‘It’s so important to eat healthily yet so challenging to do this all the time.’ ‘Our restaurant stops serving hot meals at 2pm, and if you are lucky you can get a jacket potato or a cheese-laden panini.’ ‘It costs £6 for a meal where I work, and it is as bland as anything. I take my own food in nowdays.’ ‘I work in a small community hospitals where the canteen shuts at 1.30pm. The only way to get food after this is to bring it in yourself.’ ‘The trust where I am a student nurse does have a salad bar, but getting down to the canteen, getting served, sitting down to eat and returning to work within half an hour is difficult.’ ‘Employers need to address shift patterns, the lack of staff facilities in many hospitals, and pressure of work that prevents breaks and nurses finishing shifts on time.’ ‘When you work a long day, when do you get to eat supper? It is too early when you come on shift, and too late when you get home at 9pm.’ ‘Our hospital kitchen delivers home-cooked food made with fresh ingredients daily, I cannot fault it.’
NURSING :: vol 29without no 4 ::permission. 2014 15 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 21, 2015. For personalseptember use only. No24 other uses Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
