Should nurses be role models for healthy lifestyles? Results from a modified Delphi study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Professionalism
• Public Health
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• Nurses are widely expected to serve as role models for healthy behaviors.
• The feasibility and acceptability of this expectation for nurses remain underexplored in existing literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the validity and acceptance of the expectation that nurses should embody and promote healthy lifestyles.
• To explore diverse stakeholder perspectives on the role modeling of healthy behaviors by nurses.

Main Methods:

• A modified Policy Delphi study involving two rounds of data collection.
• Purposive sampling of six key stakeholder groups, including nurses, students, service users, policymakers, and educators.
• Thematic analysis of qualitative data gathered through telephone interviews and attitude statements.

Main Results:

• Stakeholders perceived the assertion of nurses as healthy role models as unrealistic and counterproductive.
• A consensus emerged that nurses being viewed as "human" and empathetic to the difficulties of behavior change is more crucial than perfect exemplification.
• Practicing nurses and nursing students did not consider healthy role modeling a reasonable professional duty.

Conclusions:

• The study challenges the foundational assumptions behind mandating nurses as healthy role models.
• Further research is recommended to understand frontline nurses' perspectives and to identify effective strategies for improving healthcare staff health.