Nurses urged to guard own mental health
By Jonathan Babalola
Diversity Institute Fellow
03.27.06
A Belmont University professor told a group of aspiring nurses that their own well-being is just as important as the patients they will treat during a speech on mental health Monday morning.
Leslie Folds, assistant professor at the school of nursing, said one in three nurses will develop some sort of mental health issue such as depression.
"If we don't take care of ourselves, we can't take care of other people," Folds told the group of about 30 students as part of a lecture series titled "How do I help others and take care of me?"
Folds, who has taught at the university for three years, said the school tries to emphasize that issues like stress, bulimia and chemical dependency can affect the caretaker as well as the patient.
"One of the missions here at Belmont is to educate our students to recognize symptoms of mental health issues that may be going on with them as well as someone else," Folds said.
Nursing student Courtney Dyer said it is quite conceivable that she and others might experience these stress-related problems.
"It's pretty prevalent because of our schedules, the nature of the coursework," said Dyer, a junior. "We're actually going to the hospitals, seeing and treating patients. So there's a lot of pressure to be responsible."
According to Folds, more hospitals — including Vanderbilt — are attempting to be more responsive.
"It's really important for nurses, when they get out in the profession, to get help," Folds said. "Many hospitals in the area are offering wellness programs for nurses."
Dyer said she is pleased that the university offers lectures that inform her professionally and personally.
"Belmont and the faculty here do a great job with the students in providing resources and support to help us through the program," she said.