Challenge Tips

You’re embarking on a hydration challenge with the goal of drinking more water. That’s great! But we also know you’ve got certain barriers, like a busy schedule, infection control procedures, and PPE, that limit how much (and how often) you can drink.

To kickoff this challenge on the right foot, let’s set some realistic hydration goals. The US National Academies recommend the Dietary Intake Levels for water:

• 15.5 cups or 8-ounce glasses (3.7 liters )/day for men
• 11.5 cups or 8-ounce glasses (2.7 liters)/day for women

“If this fluid goal seems unrealistic, aim for 30 – 40 mL / kilogram body weight per day to meet daily maintenance fluid needs” says Lauren Rocha, Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist. She adds, “it is especially important to adequately hydrate if you live in warmer climates and exercising regularly. Dehydration can happen easily resulting in fatigue, dizziness, or headaches.”

Consider setting a goal that gradually increases. Maybe today your goal is 8 cups of water, then tomorrow you bump it up to 9, then 10, and so on. Or maybe you stagger your hydration goals to be more lenient on days that you work, and more ambitious on days that you don’t.

Try this Hydration Calculator to see how much water YOU need each day.

Find what works for you. Every improvement in your hydration — no matter how small — makes a difference.

Tell us about your realistic hydration goals for the next 10 days here, in our private Facebook group, or on Twitter, or Instagram. Tag us with #healthynurse.

Find this helpful? Use the social media links on the left side of your page to share it with a nurse and invite them to join the Hack Your Hydration Challenge, powered by Compass One Healthcare! 

Join us on day 2.

Sponsored by Support from Morrison Healthcare, A Division of Compass One Healthcare