ABSTRACT
The impact of lifestyle on patient health has long been recognized in medicine and nursing. This chapter explores the potential benefits of optimizing lifestyle factors on the healthcare system, including improved patient quality of life and financial savings. This chapter also describes the vital role nurses play in the implementation of lifestyle interventions with patients, beginning with nurse education programs and self-care. Nurses’ role in addressing social disparities, climate change, diet, and planetary health are also discussed. This chapter demonstrates how lifestyle interventions support the goals of professional nursing organizations that recognize the importance of improving overall population health and the crucial role of nurse self-care. This chapter also includes an overview of the details of the five sections of this book: (1) lifestyle medicine, (2) nurse’s code of ethics, (3) lifestyle medicine for chronic illness, (4) maintaining health through lifestyle medicine, and (5) application and implementation.
