Are Nurses Athletes? You Bet!
Strength, endurance, strategic thinking? Yep, yep and yep. RNs are showing off their championship skills.
A study published in
MedSurg Nursing,
found that nurses walked 4 to 5 miles in a 12-hour shift, whereas the average American walks two to three miles in a
day.
Not only is that endurance walking impressive, but nurses must also:
- Push and pull loaded gurneys, wheelchairs, and medical equipment
- Lift and turn patients at bedside
- Support 50 pounds of weight or more when ambulating patients
- Sustain repetitive upper body movements in CPR, bagging and other procedures
- Have the physical tolerance to stand or walk for 8 to 12 hours with minimal breaks
Nurses certainly have most office-based workers beat in terms of daily physical activity. (Yes, there are a few
professions that burn more calories in a work day. According to
this chart, lumberjacks have us all beat.)
Nurses are showing up on ultra-fitness reality shows
If you've caught even five minutes of shows like Ninja Warrior or Titan Games, you’ve gawped as the contestants do the
impossible - defying gravity by swinging along a ladder on one arm, running across a series of rolling logs, or knocking
over a thousand-pound wall. All, no problem!
Maybe it’s something about nursing's focus on the body, or on health, or the drive for perfection that pushes RNs to
compete on these shows. Some participants have drawn on their careers for inspiration, like
this ICU nurse.
Some have been driven by their lifelong athleticism and to honor their family history --
like this Army nurse.
Whatever the reason, whenever a nurse is in the line-up, you know they’re going to be awesome.
Many Olympians Become Nurses
Olympians with long-term athletic careers, like Michael Phelps, are few and far between. Most have to transition to the
“real world” after the games, and many have turned to nursing as a career.
Alpine skiers,
Judo champs and hockey goalies, are among the many former Olympians who
are now nurses and healthcare professionals. Perhaps it is because when they were training, they worked with nurses,
physical therapists and physicians, and they know firsthand the impact of nursing. Perhaps they wanted to make sure
their future career was as challenging as their previous one. If so, nursing was the perfect choice.
Some Organizations Even Hold Tongue-in-Cheek Nursing Olympics
“Nursing Olympics” competitions for students events included:
- Foley catheter
- NG tube
- Bed change with comatose patient
- Stretcher races
A California hospital held this lighthearted competition, where patients
and staff participated in Olympic- and medical-themed events.
And remember, please take care of yourself like an elite athlete does! Especially those hard-working feet. Even if you
don’t lift weights like The Rock or return a serve like Serena Williams, you can think of yourself as an athlete.
Seeing yourself as strong, resilient, and medal-worthy is great for the ego and the very definition of a nurse!
Activities to Keep You Fit While Traveling
Last Modified On: Oct 15, 2020
The next stop on your travel journey awaits.
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