Self-care strategies implemented by nursing students at a university in Santiago, class of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: This study is motivated by the search for good health maintenance among nursing students during their first year of study, from a face-to-face to an online modality, caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Objective: To explore the self-care strategies carried out by nursing students at the Universidad del Desarrollo in the 2020 cohort during the Covid-19 pandemic between March and October. Methodology: Qualitative case study research conducted at the Universidad del Desarrollo with 10 nursing students from the class of 2020, with prior informed consent. Online interviews were conducted with open-ended questions, focusing on the students' experiences in the areas of nutrition, socialising, recreation, and sleep. Results: The self-care measures of nursing students were identified in the areas of: a) nutrition; b) socialising; c) recreation; d) sleep. Discussion: The pandemic meant that people had to adapt to the situation experienced during the pandemic period. This led, unlike in the literature, to maintaining a balanced diet, engaging in physical activity at home as a form of recreation, a lack of social interaction due to lockdown, and no significant changes in the quality and quantity of sleep. Conclusion: Self-care measures varied among those interviewed during the first year of the pandemic. The findings provide evidence regarding their experiences and can be used to improve health education in the future.