Nurses and midwives are great at looking after the health of other people, but they’re notorious for not looking after themselves. Here’s our top tips for staying healthy during your career.

1. Exercise!

Yes, we know that you do walk a million miles over the span of a shift, but nurses still need to exercise while off shift. Whether it’s going for a walk with your dog, playing a sport or training for a fun run, getting active can do wonders for your ability to stay healthy.

You can even take it up to the next level by competing in the NSW Police and Emergency Services Games!

2. Food

Being shift workers, it can be difficult to stick to good food. Sometimes, the only places open are the local servo and Mr Vendo. However, your diet can really affect your physical and mental health, and make you happier and more productive. Spend a bit of time with meal prep, and invest in healthy snacks. And if you need a bit of help, check out some of our top food tips!

3. Hobbies and Passions

Being a nurse or midwife doesn’t mean giving up what you love. You might love art or music, or perhaps you’re a budding environmental activist. If there’s something that you love, make sure you stick to it. It might be key to getting you through those tough nursing shifts.

4. Grieving Process

Every nurse and midwife will have their tough days, and it’s important to know how to grieve. Make sure you know your grieving process, or check out some courses on how to grieve and build up resilience.

5. Mental Health and Self Care

Lastly, make sure you practice self care. Remember, you can’t care for others properly and safely if you can’t care for yourself. Self care shouldn’t be seen as an optional extra for nurses and midwives – it’s a necessity to be safe in your practice.

It’s important to be remain healthy as a nurse and midwife! It’s key to your practice, as well as your own wellbeing.

If you need more tips on staying healthy, make sure you check out the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association’s upcoming Future Ready Conference! With speakers like Kurt Fearnley and The Mindful Nurse, it might just be the conference you need to kickstart your career.

Do you know what benefits you’re entitled to as a member of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association?

Our members in the public, private and aged care sectors have together achieved great gains for our profession. By becoming a member, you’ll be joining over 67,000 nurses and midwives in NSW and share the benefits of belonging while participating in a wide range of Association activities – as often or as little as you choose. Membership is also fully tax deductible.

Check out all the benefits on this page. If you are not yet a member and would like us to contact you, please complete this form: