Allostatic load in students, commonly referred to as student burnout, is extremely detrimental to emotional, mental, and physical health. Recent studies are finding an uptick in allostatic load in students, as academic pressures continue to rise. In order to meet the changing needs of students, universities should address the effects of overwhelming academic stress and student burnout. My thesis aimed to provide college campuses with the tools they need to do so, particularly through the implementation of Talking Circles. Talking Circles are structured discussions aimed to address specific issues, problems, or talking points. I had the opportunity to design, create, and facilitate Talking Circles with the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) Chapter at Arizona State University. The focus of these circles were designed to have specific emphasis on reducing allostatic load in ASU’s student population. Thus, the Talking Circle prompts, following the principles of positive psychology, focused on emphasizing individual strengths in regards to handling stress. Through individual participant feedback, students felt “empowered, strengthened, and safe” after participating in the Talking Circles. In addition to facilitating these psychosocial support groups, I created a digital toolkit that allows for easier accessibility and distribution of Talking Circles. This allows for not only more students at ASU to feel ‘empowered and strengthened’ but for college students across the U.S. to have the tools, resources, and access to manage stress and reduce allostatic load.

The purpose of this project was to develop a student-led holistic nurses chapter as a space where students can learn to apply mind-body based modalities into their routine, accommodating their unique lifestyle. This paper aims to discuss the process of implementing a student-led holistic chapter. From this project further discussion can be completed in regards to policy, practice, research, and inclusion. Policy can be developed in regards to student-driven processes and procedures of the new chapter. This experience can translate to nurses who develop policy in the practice setting. Practice focus can be implemented within the chapter as self-care application and how to bring knowledge to patients in the clinical setting. Research studies can measure the effectiveness of the chapter in regards to student stress levels and academic improvement. Inclusion is a unique part of this initiative as the goal is to grow the student-led organization by inviting nursing students from all schools in the state. Inclusion of leaders from the American Holistic Nurses Association in mentoring and supporting the initiatives is critical.

It is often a passion for caring for others that drives people towards the profession of nursing in the first place. At some point, however, this desire to care for other people takes over, and nurses soon forget how to properly care for themselves. It was asked: If students are better prepared with and more encouraged to use healthy coping mechanisms and integrative modalities to deal with their daily lives, are they more likely to continue to care for themselves properly as time goes on? Ample research was conducted illuminating the prevalence of this worldwide problem and highlighting potential solutions noted by credible sources. An initiative was formed with the goal of improving the self care practices of nursing students at Arizona State University (ASU) with the greater intent of promoting a healthier work environment as these students advance into their future careers. The Arizona Student Chapter of the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) at ASU was formed, and it serves as the vessel for this self-care health-care mission.