self care essay nursing

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• Importance of Self-Care for Nurses

The Importance of Self-Care for Nurses and How to Put a Plan in Place

Over the years, nurses have expressed their substantial risk for workplace stress . During the pandemic, 70% of the nurses surveyed by HealthyNurse ® said they put the health, safety, and wellness of their patients before their own. Unsurprisingly, during the pandemic, large numbers of nurses reported feeling down, sad, and depressed .

By focusing on self-care for nurses and paying closer attention to their mental health, there’s hope to improve this situation. After all, according to the mission set forth by Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation (HNHN)—a program of the American Nurses Association (ANA)—the way to improve the nation’s health is ”one nurse at a time.”

What Is Self-Care?

Self-care is any deliberate activity that we engage in to improve our physical, mental, or spiritual well-being. It is important for workers in every field, but especially for nurses, who spend their working hours caring for others. Self-care reduces stress, replenishes a nurse’s capacity to provide compassion and empathy, and helps improve quality of care. It’s also recommended by the ANA in its Code of Ethics .

Proper self-care practices for nurses have become especially important in recent years. In one survey of nurses conducted at the peak of COVID-19, 80% reported that they were suffering mental health effects because of the pandemic, and 60% said their physical health was being affected as well. Post-pandemic, nurses’ mental health remains a concern.

“Nursing can be a traumatic field to work in,” says Wendy Mason, PhD , faculty member in the School of Nursing at Purdue Global . “Nurses are exposed to pain and suffering and trauma. We are often traumatized and do not even realize it. Self-care is actually a responsibility that we have, as you can see in the Code of Ethics. If we aren't caring for ourselves, we can't care for others.”

This article examines why self-care is so important for nurses, how to develop a plan for self-care, and what nurse managers can do to promote self-care among their team members.

Self-Care Is Mandated by the ANA Code of Ethics

The fifth provision of the American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethics states that the moral respect that nurses extend to all human beings should extend to themselves as well. These duties include the responsibility to:

• Promote health and safety
• Preserve wholeness of character and integrity
• Maintain competence
• Continue personal and professional growth

Why Is Self-Care Important for Nurses?

Self-care is a way to reduce the stress that comes with nursing.

Mason says, “The analogy I use for my students is, ‘Think of yourself as a bank account. You can keep spending, but if you don't turn around and put something back in, you're going to end up in a serious deficit.’ That leads to burnout.”

Self-Care Replenishes a Nurse’s Empathy and Compassion

Empathy and compassion are critical components of a nurse’s care. The more taxed a nurse is, the more likely that their capacity to provide these will suffer.

“We keep pouring empathy and the compassion out, without replenishing them,” Mason explains. “We need to practice empathy and compassion for ourselves, as well. When you don't have anything left to give, you’ll sometimes see symptoms of depression or anxiety. You may see strain on the nursing units or a lack of investment in the work. It can actually place patients as well as nurses at risk.”

Self-Care Promotes Patient Safety and Higher-Quality Care

Provision 5.6 of the Code of Ethics addresses the reciprocal relationship between professional and personal growth.

“You can see why it's so critical that we do provide care for ourselves—because we bring that into the workplace, and the quality excels,” Mason says. “It also complements others' work and promotes a higher quality provision of care. So it's a responsibility to ourselves as well as our patients, our colleagues, and the health care environment in general.”

How to Create a Self-Care Plan for Nurses

Take the following steps to develop a plan for self-care:

The first step to crafting a reasonable self-care plan is self-reflection and self-assessment. Where are you currently with self-care? You may wish to assess the following areas of your life:

• Psychological

Identify opportunities for growth. Mason asks pointed questions to help hone in on any shortfalls: “Do you have a spiritual or self-care deficit? Are you not attending to your needs? Are you eating too much—or not enough—to fill a void?”

Decide which interventions you need to implement. Examples include:

• Physical. Get regular health screenings, eat clean and nutritious meals, maintain a healthy weight, and exercise.
• Mental. Use relaxation and imagery techniques. Focus attention away from fear-based, negative thought patterns and become more open to life-affirming information and patterns of thought. Seek books and groups that promote joy, and pursue counseling if necessary.
• Spiritual.  Engage in activities that develop your higher self. This could be accomplished via a religious affiliation, but it doesn’t have to be. Practice meditation or yoga and say positive affirmations.
• Personal. Engage in truthful and caring self-reflection regarding your communication with others. Identify both the cohesiveness and the disharmony in your relationships. Strive to be aware of the effect both have on family and friends. Nurture important relationships.
• Economic. Live within your means. Take the steps necessary to balance your economic health. Sometimes, less is more.
• Psychological. Embrace your creativity and play. Identify what stimulates your mind and invest time into these activities.

“We've got to be advocates not only for our patients but for ourselves,” Mason says. “Look at the Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation Grand Challenge —the American Nurses Association provides some wonderful recommendations on how nurses can practice self-care and lead a balanced life.”

>> Read:  Self-Care for Nurses Part 2: Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Health Practices

How Nurse Managers Can Support Their Team

Nurse managers play a vital role in helping shape their team’s morale and ensuring that everyone is functioning at their best. Modeling self-help behaviors as a leader and implementing effective self-care strategies for nurses can have a significant impact.

Some self-care techniques that managers can incorporate into their own routines for modeling purposes include taking regular breaks, pursuing physical activity, establishing healthy boundaries, and focusing on their general well-being whenever possible. Once these behaviors are commonplace, it helps diminish the stigma often associated with discussing stress and mental health.

And by providing easy access to important self-care resources that emphasize staff well-being, nurse leaders open lines of communication that can benefit the nurses on their team.

Here are some ways a nurse leader can further enhance nurse self-care:

• Be mindful of hours worked. Studies show that limiting an existing workload or encouraging flexible work hours can have a positive effect on staff. This is a good way to monitor your nurses’ stress levels and prevent burnout.
• Set up workshops with your team. Leaders can take an active role in encouraging healthy practices by supporting mindfulness workshops, balanced sleep, and stress reduction exercises.
• Open communication approach. Set up regular meetings with your team of nurses to listen to their doubts or concerns. By voicing their issues or other pressing worries, this approach can help improve efficiency and overall job performance.

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Self-Care for Nurses

Are you ready to earn your online nursing degree?

With a pandemic continuing to impact the world, the need for health professionals to take time for self-care is stronger than ever. As first responders on the frontlines, nurses must also care for themselves to provide consistent quality care for their patients.

According to the World Health Organization , self-care includes “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.”

So much of a nurse’s time is focused on helping others that it’s easy for nurses to forget about their own health. Kendall Conn, a pediatric oncology nurse, explains the need for self-care with the common saying, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”

Self-care is how a nurse can promote their own health (physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and emotional). This guide includes ways nurses can participate in self-care, detailing how “recharging” can help improve patient care.

Why Is Self-Care Important in Nursing?

To provide their patients with the best treatment possible, nurses need to practice self-care.

Jennifer A. O’Neill, chief nursing officer at the Hospital for Special Surgery, states that self-care must not be considered a luxury but a necessity.

“Nurses are advocates for their patients and their families, so we need to be emotionally and mentally available to care for our patients to the best of our ability,” O’Neill says. “Providing quality care is only possible if we first ensure our own well-being.”

While the pandemic continues to affect the health system, self-care cannot take a backseat. Self-care can help increase safety and higher quality patient care. Here are 12 nurse self-care products recommended by nurses.

The Need for Self-Care in Nursing

Nurses work busy schedules and long hours. Nurse burnout can impact the quality of care nurses provide, leading to lack of focus, forgetfulness, and mental mistakes due to exhaustion.

In fact, 70% of nurses surveyed believed they prioritized their patients’ care over their own, while 77% found themselves to be at a “significant level of risk” for stress in the workplace.

Nurses must view self-care as a high priority to lessen the negative impact burnout can have on themselves and the care they give to their patients.

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What Does Self-Care Look Like for Nurses?

There are various ways to practice nurse self-care, including focusing on physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and personal health. O’Neill engages in several activities to maintain a routine of self-care as a nurse:

• Scheduling workouts three days a week and walking 10,000 steps a day is an important part of her routine.
• Socially, she carves out downtime to disconnect from technology and be truly present with her family and friends.
• Lastly, she engages in activities that give her energy and enjoyment, including hiking, bird watching, and traveling.

Finding ways to vary her self-care helps her well-being without losing herself in the daily routine.

Conn focuses on relaxation exercises, such as yoga and meditation, while also incorporating “self-kindness.” Even something as simple as reframing can be a powerful tool in combating fatigue.

“One of my least favorite things to do is put gas in my car, but over time, I’ve learned to reframe this chore,” Conn says. “Instead of dreading going to the gas station, I consciously remind myself that I’m doing this act as a gift for my future self.”

Nurse self-care looks different from one person to the next. However, common options include:

Physical Self-Care

• Take a walk
• Eat healthy food
• Ride a bike
• Join a yoga class

Mental Self-Care

• Praise and compliment yourself
• Find an emotional outlet (e.g., drawing, playing music, writing, etc.)
• Create a gratitude practice
• Express emotions when you feel them

Social Self-Care

• Talk with coworkers about nonwork-related issues
• Go out to dinner with a friend
• Spend time with family

Spiritual Self-Care

• Engage in your faith

Personal Self-Care

• Try a new activity/hobby
• Create a skincare routine
• Go on a drive
• Reward yourself after a hard task

How to Make Time for Self-Care

One of the more challenging aspects of nurse self-care is finding the time. With long shifts, especially amid a pandemic, self-care may seem unattainable or overwhelming. However, some techniques can help nurses carve out the necessary time.

Conn finds it best to promise herself time, while also giving herself grace when she needs it. She stresses that flexibility is key. Self-care should not become an additional burden.

“Sometimes taking care of myself means taking a nap; other times it means a 45-minute spin class,” Conn says. “There’s no right or wrong way to do self-care.”

O’Neill agrees that planning ahead is essential when creating a schedule that includes self-care.

“If you do not plan ahead, activities that are important for your long-term mental and emotional health may be replaced by more urgent day-to-day tasks,” O’Neill says.

If your schedule becomes too busy, O’Neill believes that even one-minute reflections or just pausing for a moment to take a deep breath can help nurses throughout the day.

Tips for Prioritizing Self-Care as a Nurse

While self-care can vary significantly from nurse to nurse, there are ways to prioritize these moments throughout the day, week, or month.

Nurses need to grasp their work routine to effectively schedule time for self-care and try to stick to it. They should determine what is important, not just professionally but also personally.

According to O’Neill, one of the best ways to figure out how to balance work and personal life is to take advantage of the experiences of others.

Conn suggests that even the smallest tasks can help develop a larger routine, even if it’s something like grabbing an iced coffee on the way to work.

“Frame those little acts of self-kindness so they become mindful practices,” Conn says. “As time goes on, you won’t need to create a calendar notification; these moments will become a habit.”

As the country continues to depend on the strength of its healthcare professionals, nurses must find ways to refresh their mind, body, and soul. It is just as important to recognize the sacrifices nurses make, especially as they place the needs of patients ahead of their own.

Meet Our Contributors

Kendall Conn

Kendall Conn , RN, is a pediatric oncology nurse who strives to implement holistic practices into her nursing care. Conn has a knack for connecting with others and helping them to make the best out of a bad situation. She has a passion for teaching yoga and helps her students find the sweet spot between an awesome workout and a moving meditation. Conn is currently pursuing her master’s degree in maharishi ayurveda and integrative medicine, with the goal of promoting wellness in even more aspects of her life.

Jennifer ONeill, DNP, APN, NEA-BC

Jennifer A. O’Neill, DNP, APN, NEA-BC, started at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in 2019. Before HSS, O’Neill had a 23-year career with Saint Barnabas Medical Center (SBMC) in various roles, with her last role as the chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services where she oversaw all aspects of patient care services and more than 1,500 nurses. Under O’Neill’s leadership, SBMC received Magnet designation in August 2018.

O’Neill earned her bachelor of science in nursing from Boston College, her master of nursing in women’s health from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and her doctor of nursing practice from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

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How to Write a Nursing Reflective Essay (Guide for Nurse Students)

If you are a nursing or medicine student, you are aware that you will come across or have already come across assignments requiring you to write a nursing reflection essay. At first, such a task always appears challenging, but given the understanding of the steps, things flat out, and you can write reflective essays and get better grades.

Reflective practice is highly encouraged in nursing. Reflection entails making sense of situations, events, actions, and phenomena in the workplace.

As a nursing student, you will be asked to write a reflective essay on your clinical placement, practicum, shadowing experience, shadow health DCE activities, personal nursing philosophy, why you want to become a nurse, nursing program, ethical dilemma, knowledge, skills, and abilities, systems, and processes.

The easiest way to complete the reflective essay assignment is by first determining what reflective writing entails, its significance, its steps, and some of the best tips that form the core of this ultimate guide.

Basics of Reflective Writing in Nursing

Reflective writing is an analytical writing practice where the writer describes a real or imaginary event, scene, phenomenon, occurrence, or memory, including their takeaway. It entails the critical analysis of an experience, including recording how it has impacted you and what you intend to do with the new knowledge or how to act when such an occurrence recurs.

As you document the encounter, you can use first-person pronouns and write subjectively and objectively. This means that you can decide to either use personal experiences alone or support these experiences using citations from scholarly sources.

When writing a reflective essay in nursing, you must recount the events and give critical detail of how the events shaped your knowledge acquisition. Reflection helps nursing students develop skills in self-directed learning, which is directly associated with high motivation and improved quality of care .

In most cases, reflection occurs on what went well and what went wrong. It could be a successful operation, a thank you note from a patient, a patient who regained their health faster, or a new nursing care plan that worked. However, it can also be about adverse events such as death, postoperative complications, death of an infant at birth, dissatisfied patient, medical error, or a failed procedure.

As a nursing student, when you learn to reflect on situations, you grow to become a professional nurse who diligently does their noble duty.

When writing a reflective essay, you begin by setting the scene (explaining what, where, how, and who-the situation), detailing how you felt (emotional state), why it happened (making sense of the situation), critical review and development of insights, a note on what was learned, and strategies to address future recurrence.

Your professor may ask you to write a nursing reflective paper about various topics in your course or your experience working in a group, how you solved a problem, a healthcare issue, or clinical practice. Consider the following example of a reflective statement in nursing; in my clinical practices, I realized I focused more on the technical aspects but failed to explain what it was doing to improve their health. I would like to understand more about listening to patience and their concerns to better care for them.

As you will notice later, these reflective stages are structured into different reflective models and frameworks that we will explore in-depth. So, with the understanding of what comprises reflective writing and its importance in nursing, let's now get solid on the structure.

Related Reading:

• Philosophy of Nursing Example.
• Ideas and topics for nursing capstone or project papers
• How to write a SOAP note paper
• Top nursing debate topics
• Nursing Theories and Theorists.

Structure of a Reflective Essay in Nursing

A reflective essay is an analytical writing piece describing and evaluating encounters or experiences. When asked to write one, you should know that an excellent reflective essay consists of different parts, just like a typical academic essay. It comprises the cover or title page, introduction, body paragraphs, conclusions, and a references page.

The title page contains information about the assignment. If you are writing the reflective essay in APA, include these on the title page:

• Title of the reflective essay
• Course code and name
• Instructors name
• Name of your institution
• Date of submission

When writing in Harvard format, the title or the cover page will consist of the following:

• Title of the essay in title case and the page number (upper right margin),
• Title of the essay in CAPS,
• Name of class or course,
• Name of the instructor,
• Name of your school,
• City and state where your school is located and,
• The date of submission.

Introduction

The introduction begins with an attention grabber or a hook sentence to attract readers' attention. It should then explain the essay's purpose and signpost the ideas that will come later in the essay. The introduction also has a thesis statement at the end of the paragraph- the last sentence. The thesis is concise, clear, and relatable and should reflect your position.

Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs of a reflective essay can be three or more, depending on the length of the essay. Essentially, the body comprises 80% of the total word count.

The first paragraph is where you describe the situation, including the events, why they occurred, how they occurred, and those involved.

The second paragraph entails your personal feelings or reaction to the situation and how it made you feel.

The third paragraph can include making sense of the situation. You have to think about why things happened the way they did. You should also critically review and develop insights based on the situation. Finally, think of the factors that could have influenced the situation.

The next paragraph should explain how the event or situation will change your practice, approach, decisions, perspective, or perception. This is where you evaluate the experience by detailing the knowledge and skills you took from the experience.

The last body paragraph should entail a critical reflection on the learning opportunities. First, describe the situation and what it made you learn. Next, elaborate on how you intend to make yourself better poised to address such situations.

Mostly, you should structure the body of your essay as per the preferred nursing reflective model.

After everything else falls into place, you need to summarize the information you presented in the essay. Then, finally, restate your thesis and have a call to action to bring a sense of closure to your readers.

Steps for Writing a Nursing Reflection Essay � The Guide

When assigned to write a reflective essay for your nursing class, here are the surefire steps to get you to success.

Read the instructions

The first step after receiving an assignment is to begin reading the instructions. as you read, note what your instructor or professor expects in the paper you will submit for marking.

Reading instructions helps you to get informed on the scope of the paper, word count, number of references and pages, and the formatting style to use.

Besides, you also get to plan your paper with the deadline highlighted in the instructions.

You need to get a conducive environment where you can start writing.

The first step of writing is to brainstorm about situations during your clinical hours when you were shadowing a Nurse Practitioner or one you have read about.

Assess whether the situation or scenario you have thought, encountered, or chosen can help you write a reflective essay that meets the requirements.

Research and Plan

After choosing a scenario, the next step is researching the best reflective model.

You can use your class text, the instructions, the college library, course readings, and online nursing journals to get articles and resources with information about specific reflective models.

Select the best reflective model and take notes on the steps it entails.

As you research, write down notes on how to address your paper based on your selected framework or model of reflection . Additionally, research nursing journal articles with information you can use when critically analyzing a situation.

Plan how you will handle the paper as well. For instance, as you research, develop a thesis statement that grounds your entire paper, then draft an outline on how to develop the thesis.

Write an Outline

Outlining is a crucial aspect of writing. It helps you envision how you will meet the objective of writing a reflective essay. As an essential part of the essay writing process, outlining helps create a good flow of ideas and can come in handy in helping you overcome writer's block. Your outline should comprise the following:

• The hook or attention grabber
• Thesis statement
• Main points of each body paragraph (topic sentence, evidence, examples, illustrations, etc.)
• Conclusion (restated thesis and call-to-action)

With the outline done, you should take a break and resume writing your first draft of the nursing reflection essay. Writing with an outline helps avoid mistakes and also helps you write faster.

Describe the Experience

Once you have identified the relevant experience, begin describing it chronologically.

Describe the experience that prompted you to consider nursing your ideal career goal. Think of this experience's key elements, such as the setting, patient demographics, and significant events that impacted you.

Show how these events changed your perspective on life. Ensure you are as descriptive as possible to paint a clear picture for readers.

Consider the following questions to come up with a good description:

• What happened?
• Was there someone involved? If yes, what part did they play?
• Where did the event take place?
• What actions did you take?

Set the context of this experience by giving relevant background information. Ensure you are objective and pay attention to the facts.

Provide a Reflection

Talk about your feelings and thoughts concerning the particular experience you went through. You have to be honest and open up about your initial expectations and challenges you faced at each stage of the experience. The following questions can help you come up with a good reflection:

• What was I trying to achieve?
• What prompted me to act the way I did?
• Are there any consequences for my actions? If yes, what are they?
• How did I feel about this event as it was happening?
• How did those around me react to it?
• How do I know how those around me felt about it?

Analyze the Experience

Description of an experience is essential, but so is analysis. You have to move beyond the surface and give a critical analysis of your experience.

State your actions, and your overall experience will give insights into your experience. Think of how the experience has impacted your actions, feelings, and thoughts.

Give an Evaluation

Evaluate the skills and knowledge you got from the experience. Show how you can apply these skills and knowledge in your nursing practice. Also, state the actions and interventions you took during the nursing experience.

State whether you achieved the desired outcome and if there are any specific areas that you need to improve on.

Talk about how you built or improved skills like communication, teamwork, and critical thinking.

As you evaluate the experience, identify what you believe to be your strengths and weaknesses in the nursing experience. What have you learned from the experience? State the areas where you excelled and what abilities contributed to your success.

Talk about how those you were with during the clinical experience complimented you. Similarly, acknowledge your weaknesses.

What kind of mistakes did you make, and how did you improve them? Talk about the tasks that drain you most during the experience.

Illustrate Learning

Demonstrate elements of deeper thought and reflection levels. This is a great point to include nursing theories in your reflection essay to support analysis of your experience.

Relate your experiences to the theoretical frameworks you were taught in class. This is effective learning and will demonstrate your ability to apply knowledge to real-life nursing situations.

Doing this will also show that you can effectively deduce different things from observations made during the reflection process.

Ensure you also demonstrate a change in perspective, as this will prove that you learned something from the experience.

Write Your Conclusion

Conclude by summarizing your points and highlighting the lessons learned.

The lessons you reached as part of your reflection should support your overall conclusion.

Also, restate your thesis statement.

Come Up with an Action Plan

Now that you have learned from your reflection develop an action plan for future nursing practice.

This part should contain all the details you have learned and actions needed to improve when faced with a similar situation. Consider the following questions:

• What would I change if faced with a similar situation?
• How can I develop the necessary skills needed to face this situation?
• How can I act differently in a similar situation?  

Ensure you identify areas to improve and set realistic goals to enhance your nursing skills. Discuss how you intend to seek additional education, training, or mentorship to address your shortcomings.

Finally, end the essay with a happy note so readers know you learned something from the experiences.

Proofread, Edit, and Polish

After doing your first draft, take a break to relax and get out of the writing mood - it helps you to become objective.

You can then resume reading out loud to yourself, make necessary tweaks, and ensure that every part you include meets the rubric requirements.

Edit for grammar, punctuation, tenses, voice, spelling, and use of language. You should also proofread the essay to adhere to the style, organization, and presentation requirements.

Ensure that all the in-text citations are accounted for in the reference list and are up-to-date. You are good to go when you have an essay that meets all the instructions.

Finally, you can submit the paper for grading.

Writing is not everyone's cup of tea. For that reason, you can hire a nursing reflection essay writer from our website to assist you in crafting a top-grade paper. In addition, we have nursing writers whose forte is writing various nursing papers.

Choosing the suitable Reflective Model or Framework

As you can see above, many reflective models are used for your reflective essay. We have not exhaustively listed and expounded on all of them. Other reflective models and frameworks you can also consider when writing a reflective essay in nursing include:

• Bouds Reflective Model
• Brookfield Reflective Model
• Pender's Health Promotion Model
• Roper Logan and Tierney Model
• Driscoll Reflective Model
• The Johari window model

Note that most nursing instructors will often suggest the models they prefer for you to use in your essay.

For example, in most nursing reflective essays. Whichever the case, readily available information expands on each model to make it easier to write a reflection essay on a specific aspect of nursing education or practice.

Read the assignment rubric and instructions to understand the specific model. If it is unclear, ask for clarification from your instructor early enough.

Tips for Writing a Good Nursing Reflective Essay

As you try to figure out how to write a nursing reflective essay, keep the following tips in mind.

Choose the Right Topic

If the instructions from your professors involve choosing a topic for the reflective essay, you must select one that is meaningful to you.

This will ensure you can easily write and easily develop relevant elements about the topic. Therefore, take time to pick a topic that you find interesting.

As you write, ensure you stay on topic, whether sharing a one-off event or a recurrent story.

Use the Right Tone

A reflective essay is more personal, unlike other types of academic essays. This means you don't need a strict or formal tone.

Since this is about your experiences, use personal pronouns such as I and Me.

Be Vulnerable

You must be extremely vulnerable to learn how to write a reflective essay in nursing.

Be open about your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about something you went through that sparked an interest in nursing.

It's okay to share mistakes or things you did wrong that eventually led you to this career path.

Choose the Right Focus

A reflection essay is all about narrating your experience during the nursing experience.

While including other people in your experience is okay, please let them not be the center of your reflection.

This is your essay, so you should be the focus of attention.

Keep it Brief

A good nursing reflection essay should be between 300 and 800 consciously written words. Because of this length, you must only write relevant information about your reflection. Refrain from lengthy reflections, as they make it difficult to pass your points across.

Convey Your Information Wisely

Even though a nursing reflection essay is about your personal experiences, it doesn't mean you should reveal everything about yourself. Ask yourself whether something is appropriate before including it in your paper.

Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Reflection Essay in Nursing

A good reflection essay involves reflecting on your nursing studies and practices throughout school and career to demonstrate your competence. For this reason, there are certain mistakes you should be aware of when writing an essay.

Not including a Personal Story

Like food tastes bland without salt, so does a reflection essay without a personal story. At the center of a reflection essay is You. This means the essay should focus on your personal story that led you to want a nursing career. A lot of times, students miss out on this instead of talking about their story. You need more than just the personal qualities you think will be a great fit for the nursing program; you must also share a story that shows how well you contributed to nursing care.

Failing to Share Your Experience

You will lose points when you fail to include nursing-related experiences in your reflection essay. Mentioning that you want to be a nurse is great, but failing to show specific events that led to the desire will cost you a great point.

Plagiarizing Your Essay

Plagiarism is a serious academic offense because it is considered taking other people's ideas and using them as your own without crediting the author. So, provide relevant citations and references for any ideas that aren't your own. Also, an AI will not write your essay as a human writer would. 

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• How to write a student nurse resume with no experience.
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Sample of a Nursing Reflective Essay 

The following is a sample of a nursing Reflective essay using Gibb's Model of Reflection. Use this sample to guide you when writing your own.

Introduction  Communication is an important element in healthcare practice as it determines patient satisfaction and treatment outcomes. This essay will focus on reflecting on an experience I went through with a 40-year-old diabetic patient who also had a foot infected with an ulcer. When I approached the patient to sign the consent form, I noticed that he wasn't happy because of the news given to him about his health. I concluded that there must be a communication dilemma. I will reflect on the experience using Gibb's Model of Reflection. Using this model, I will identify and discuss the actions taken to resolve the issue. Description  This incident happened a few months ago when I was working as a wound nurse in a Methodist hospital in my hometown. I was part of a care team handling the case of a 40-year-old male patient with diabetes and an infected diabetic foot ulcer. After careful examination, a team comprising various specialists concluded that his leg needed amputation below the knee. After making this decision, the team left, and I was asked to give the patient a consent form to sign. When I came back from retrieving the form, I noticed the patient looked sorrowful because of the news given to him. Feelings  As soon as I saw the patient, I knew what he was going through. He perceived the situation to be irreparable, but I wasn't sure whether to console the patient or not. I was powerless and couldn't imagine what he was going through. At the same time, I was startled that the team left without showing any compassion. They could have handled the situation more delicately. I, on the other hand, could have relayed the information better. I wasn't sure whether my approach would be acceptable or appropriate. Evaluation  I always go back to that particular situation and wonder whether I could have acted better. The situation helped me better understand the importance of good communication in patient care, particularly in therapeutic care. Before the incident, I didn't acknowledge the role of nurses play in caring for patient's emotional needs. I realized nurses must show compassion and console patients in their low moments.  Analysis  Most healthcare professionals do not know how to deliver bad news to patients. They find the process extremely challenging and always feel psychologically unprepared. This has a negative impact on patients and could lead to bad health outcomes. Furthermore, how information is relayed could impact a patient's adherence to treatment. Because of these effects, multiple protocols and approaches were developed to help with communicating bad news to patients. One of the approaches that was proposed is emotion-centered. This proposes that a healthcare provider acknowledges how sad the patient is and builds a professional relationship based on empathy and sympathy. Action Plan I now understand the essence of communicating bad news with compassion. The experience allowed me to look closely at different aspects of my professional development that needed more improvement. Thus, I plan to be more empathetic and speak up in support of patient's emotional and psychological well-being, especially when presented with traumatic news about their health. Additionally, I now understand I am not powerless when dealing with a sorrowful patient. I believe I have learned from my experience, and I'm not able to communicate well with patients any more. Conclusion  The experience allowed me to value good communication in nursing and the need to incorporate it into daily nurse-patient interaction. Nurses must learn how to deliver bad news and manage patient's sorrow. This has been and will continue to be my biggest priority in patient care. References Street Jr, R. L., Makoul, G., Arora, N. K., & Epstein, R. M. (2009). How does communication heal? Pathways linking clinician–patient communication to health outcomes. Patient education and counselling, 74(3), 295-301. Buckman, R. (1992). Breaking bad news: why is it still so difficult? BMJ: British Medical Journal, 304(6842), 886. Ptacek, J. T., & Eberhardt, T. L. (1996). Breaking bad news: a review of the literature. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 276(6), 496-502.

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How to Write a Nursing Reflective Essay as a BSN Nursing Student

• November 29, 2023

Welcome to NursingWriters.net, your go-to resource for expert information and guidance on writing nursing essays. In this article, we will provide you, as a BSN nursing student , with a comprehensive guide on how to write a compelling nursing reflective essay. Reflective essays are a personal reflection on your experiences in the nursing profession, and we are here to help you navigate this writing challenge.

As a busy nursing student, we understand that you may have limited time to spare. That’s where NursingWriters.net comes in, empowering you to excel in your BSN program by providing expert guidance on different writing and comprehension challenges you may face. Let’s dive into the world of nursing reflective essays and discover how you can effectively express your thoughts and insights.

Key Takeaways:

• Reflective essays allow nursing students to reflect on their experiences and personal growth in the profession.
• A nursing reflective essay is different from a personal statement, focusing on self-reflection rather than academic achievements.
• Key elements to include in a nursing reflective essay are the inciting incident, personal reflections, vivid details, and actions taken.
• The introduction should grab the reader’s attention and provide a clear thesis statement.
• The body paragraphs should delve into the writer’s reflections and emotions with specific examples and anecdotes.

What Is a Reflective Essay in Nursing?

A reflective essay in nursing is a powerful tool that allows nursing students to analyze their experiences, emotions, and actions related to their nursing practice. It provides an opportunity for self-reflection, critical thinking, and personal growth. Reflective writing can help nurses develop a deeper understanding of their own practice, improve patient care, and enhance their professional development.

Reflective essays in nursing differ from personal statements in that they focus on specific experiences and their impact on the writer’s growth and development. These essays require the writer to critically reflect on their actions, emotions, and thoughts, and identify ways to improve their practice. By examining their experiences and applying reflective frameworks, nursing students can gain valuable insights into their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth.

When writing a reflective essay in nursing , it is important to follow a structured approach. This includes describing the incident or experience, analyzing personal thoughts and feelings, exploring the actions taken, and reflecting on the outcomes and implications. By structuring the essay effectively, nursing students can communicate their reflections in a clear and organized manner.

Key Elements to Include in a Nursing Reflective Essay

When writing a nursing reflective essay, it is important to include key elements that will make your essay comprehensive and impactful. These elements will help you convey your thoughts and experiences clearly, allowing the reader to gain a deeper understanding of your reflections on nursing practice.

Inciting Incident or Event

The first key element to include in your nursing reflective essay is the inciting incident or event. This is the moment or experience that triggered your reflection and made a significant impact on your practice. It could be a challenging patient encounter, an ethical dilemma, or a personal realization. By describing this event in detail, you set the stage for your reflective journey.

Personal Reflections

Your nursing reflective essay should also include personal reflections on the experience. This is where you delve into your thoughts, feelings, and emotions related to the inciting incident. Reflect on how the event made you feel, what you learned from it, and how it has influenced your growth as a nursing professional. Be honest and vulnerable in your reflections, as this will allow the reader to connect with your experience on a deeper level.

Vivid Setting and Descriptive Details

To create a vivid and engaging narrative, include specific details that paint a picture of the setting and the people involved. Describe the physical environment, the interactions between healthcare professionals and patients, and any other relevant details that contribute to the overall context of the experience. This will help the reader visualize the situation and understand the complexities of the event.

Actions Taken

Finally, it is important to describe the actions you took in response to the inciting incident. Discuss how you applied your nursing knowledge and skills to address the challenges or opportunities presented by the event. Reflect on the effectiveness of your actions and whether there were any areas for improvement. This demonstrates your ability to critically analyze your own practice and make informed decisions.

By including these key elements in your nursing reflective essay, you can create a comprehensive and impactful piece of writing that showcases your growth and development as a nursing professional.

How to Write the Introduction of a Nursing Reflective Essay

The introduction of a nursing reflective essay plays a crucial role in capturing the reader’s attention and setting the tone for the entire essay. It should provide a concise overview of the main points that will be discussed and create a sense of curiosity and engagement. Here are some tips to help you write an effective introduction for your nursing reflective essay:

• Start with an intriguing opening line: Begin your introduction with a captivating statement or anecdote that relates to the topic of your essay. This will grab the reader’s attention and make them eager to continue reading.
• Provide context and background information: Give a brief overview of the event or experience that you will be reflecting on in your essay. This will help the reader understand the context and significance of your reflections.
• Present a clear thesis statement: Your thesis statement should clearly state the main purpose of your essay and the specific points or themes that you will be exploring. This will give the reader a preview of what to expect in the body of the essay.

By following these tips, you can craft an introduction that captivates the reader and sets the stage for a compelling nursing reflective essay.

“As I walked into the busy hospital ward on my first day of clinical rotation, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. Little did I know that this experience would become a pivotal moment in my nursing journey, shaping my understanding of empathy, communication, and patient-centered care. In this reflective essay, I will delve into the details of this encounter and explore the personal and professional growth that resulted from it.”

With an attention-grabbing opening, providing context, and presenting a clear thesis statement, your introduction will set the stage for a compelling nursing reflective essay that captures the reader’s attention and lays the foundation for your reflections.

Nursing Reflection Essay Tips and Examples

Writing a nursing reflective essay requires careful consideration and thoughtful analysis. Here are some tips to help you craft an impactful and meaningful reflection essay as a BSN nursing student . Additionally, we will provide examples to illustrate how these tips can be applied.

Tips for Writing a Nursing Reflection Essay:

• Start by choosing a specific experience or event that had a significant impact on your nursing practice. This could be a challenging patient encounter, a critical incident, or a personal realization that transformed your perspective.
• Reflect on the experience and consider how it affected your emotions, thoughts, and actions. What did you learn from the experience? How has it shaped your growth as a nursing professional?
• Focus on the key aspects of the experience that were particularly impactful or meaningful to you. Avoid including unnecessary details or deviating from the main message of your reflection.
• Use specific examples, anecdotes, or patient scenarios to support your reflections. This will make your essay more engaging and relatable to the reader.
• Consider the ethical implications of the experience and reflect on how it has influenced your approach to patient care and decision-making.
• End your essay with a reflection on the implications of your learning for future nursing practice. How will you apply the lessons learned to provide better care and improve patient outcomes?

Now, let’s take a look at two examples of nursing reflective essays to further illustrate these tips:

“During my clinical rotation in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), I encountered a complex patient case that challenged my critical thinking skills and decision-making abilities. The patient was a middle-aged woman who had undergone a complicated surgery and experienced numerous post-operative complications. This experience taught me the importance of collaboration within the healthcare team and the significance of advocating for the patient’s best interests…”

“One of the most significant experiences during my nursing education was my time spent in the pediatric oncology unit. Witnessing the resilience and bravery of children facing life-threatening illnesses had a profound impact on my perspective as a nurse. It taught me the importance of providing holistic care, not only addressing physical needs but also supporting emotional well-being and promoting a positive environment for healing…”

These examples demonstrate how personal reflections, specific details, and professional insights can be incorporated to create a compelling nursing reflective essay. Remember to structure your essay in a clear and organized manner, ensuring that your reflections flow logically and coherently.

By following these tips and utilizing examples, you can create a compelling nursing reflective essay that showcases your growth and development as a nursing professional.

How to Conclude a Nursing Reflective Essay

The conclusion of a nursing reflective essay serves as the final reflection on the writer’s growth and learning from the experience. It is an essential part of the essay that summarizes the main points discussed and leaves a lasting impression on the reader. The reflective essay conclusion should bring closure to the essay by restating the thesis statement and highlighting the key takeaways from the essay.

To write a strong and impactful conclusion, start by restating the thesis statement in a clear and concise manner. This reminds the reader of the main focus of the essay and reinforces its significance. Next, summarize the key points discussed in the body paragraphs, highlighting the most important insights and reflections. This helps to reinforce the main ideas and ensures that they are not overlooked in the final reflection.

In addition to summarizing the main points, a thought-provoking statement or future outlook can be included to provide a sense of closure and leave the reader with something to ponder. This can be a reflection on how the experience has influenced the writer’s future practice or a call to action for continued personal and professional growth. By ending the essay on a strong and meaningful note, the conclusion enhances the overall impact of the nursing reflective essay.

A well-crafted conclusion is essential for a nursing reflective essay as it reinforces the main ideas, leaves a lasting impression on the reader, and provides a sense of closure. By following these tips, nursing students can create a powerful and impactful conclusion that enhances the overall effectiveness of their reflective essays.

Tips for Writing a Nursing Reflective Essay

Writing a nursing reflective essay can be a challenging task, but with the right approach, it can also be a rewarding experience. Here are some helpful tips and strategies to guide nursing students in their essay writing process:

• Start early: Give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm ideas, reflect on your experiences, and write and revise your essay. Starting early will help you avoid last-minute stress and allow for a more thoughtful and polished essay.
• Conduct thorough self-reflection: Before you begin writing, take the time to reflect on your experiences and emotions related to your nursing practice. Consider how these experiences have shaped your growth and development as a nurse, and what lessons you have learned along the way.
• Organize your thoughts and ideas: Create an outline or a rough structure for your essay to ensure a logical flow of ideas. Group similar thoughts and reflections together to create cohesive paragraphs, and use headings or subheadings to further organize your essay.
• Seek feedback: Share your essay with trusted peers or instructors and ask for their feedback. They can offer valuable insights, provide constructive criticism, and help you refine your essay to make it stronger and more impactful.

Additionally, it is important to pay attention to the technical aspects of your essay:

• Grammar and spelling: Proofread your essay carefully to ensure it is free of any grammatical or spelling errors. Use grammar and spell-check tools, and consider asking someone else to review your essay for a fresh perspective.
• Coherent writing style: Use clear and concise language to convey your thoughts and reflections. Avoid excessive jargon or technical terms, and focus on communicating your ideas effectively.
• Formatting guidelines: Follow any formatting guidelines provided by your instructor or institution. Pay attention to font style, size, spacing, and citation style if required.

By following these tips and strategies, nursing students can approach their reflective essay writing with confidence and produce compelling and insightful essays that showcase their growth and development in the nursing profession.

Reflective Tools and Models for Nursing Reflective Essays

Reflective tools and models can provide structure and guidance for nursing students when writing reflective essays. These tools help organize thoughts and experiences, allowing for a more comprehensive and meaningful reflection. By utilizing reflection models , nursing students can enhance their reflective writing skills and deepen their understanding of their own growth and development as healthcare professionals.

Gibbs’ Reflective Model

“Reflective practice is both an art and a science that requires ongoing commitment and practice.” – Gibbs

Gibbs’ Reflective Model is a widely used reflection framework in nursing. It consists of six stages: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and action plan. This model encourages a structured approach to reflection, allowing the writer to systematically explore their thoughts and emotions, analyze the situation, and identify areas for improvement or further development.

Dewey’s Reflective Thinking Model

“We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.” – Dewey

Dewey’s Reflective Thinking Model focuses on the importance of reflection as a tool for learning and growth. It emphasizes the need to actively engage with experiences, thoughts, and emotions, and to critically evaluate them in order to gain deeper insights and understanding. This model encourages nursing students to think analytically and develop a continuous learning mindset.

Kolb Reflective Model

“Knowledge results from the combination of grasping experience and transforming it.” – Kolb

The Kolb Reflective Model is based on the concept of experiential learning. It consists of four stages: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. This model encourages nursing students to engage in a cyclical process of learning, where they actively participate in experiences, reflect on them, conceptualize their insights, and apply their learning in real-life situations.

Schön Reflective Model

“Reflection-in-action is the heart of the learning process.” – Schön

Schön Reflective Model emphasizes the importance of reflection in the midst of action. It focuses on the ability to think and adapt in real-time, making decisions based on professional knowledge and experiences. This model encourages nursing students to develop a reflective mindset that allows them to learn and grow while actively engaging in their practice.

Benefits of Reflective Writing in Nursing

Reflective writing plays a crucial role in nursing practice, offering numerous benefits for nursing students and professionals alike. By engaging in reflective writing, nurses can enhance their self-awareness, develop their critical thinking skills, and gain a deeper understanding of patient experiences. This section will explore the advantages of reflective writing in nursing and its significance in healthcare.

Enhanced Self-Awareness

Reflective writing fosters self-reflection, allowing nurses to examine their thoughts, emotions, and actions in various clinical situations. Through this process, they gain a deeper understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. This heightened self-awareness enables nurses to provide more effective and compassionate patient care, fostering a patient-centered approach.

Improved Critical Thinking

Reflective writing encourages nurses to think critically about their experiences and the impact of their actions. It requires them to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of their decision-making and problem-solving skills. By reflecting on past experiences, nurses can identify areas where they can enhance their clinical practice and make informed decisions based on evidence and best practices.

Increased Empathy and Understanding

Through reflective writing, nurses develop a deeper empathy and understanding of patient experiences. By reflecting on their interactions with patients, nurses can recognize the emotions, fears, and challenges faced by individuals in their care. This increased empathy enables nurses to provide more holistic and patient-centered care, improving the overall healthcare experience for patients.

Continuous Professional Development

Reflective writing is an essential tool for nurses’ continuous professional development. It allows them to document their growth, learning, and achievements throughout their nursing career. By regularly engaging in reflective writing, nurses can identify areas for further development, set goals for improvement, and ensure they are providing the best possible care to their patients.

Overall, reflective writing in nursing is a powerful tool that empowers nurses to enhance their self-awareness, critical thinking skills, and empathy. By engaging in this practice, nurses can continuously improve their clinical practice, provide high-quality patient care, and contribute to the ongoing development of the nursing profession.

Nursing Reflective Essay Examples

Looking for inspiration for your nursing reflective essay? Here are some examples that showcase different experiences, reflections, and growth in the nursing profession.

These examples demonstrate how nursing reflective essays can provide valuable insights into personal experiences, reflections, and professional growth. They serve as excellent references to help nursing students develop their own reflective writing skills and gain a deeper understanding of the nursing profession.

Writing a Nursing Reflective Essay for Nursing School Application

A nursing reflective essay can be a powerful tool for nursing school applications. It allows applicants to showcase their self-awareness, critical thinking skills, and passion for the nursing profession. When writing a nursing reflective essay for a nursing school application, there are a few key tips to keep in mind.

Reflect on your passion for nursing

Start by reflecting on what drew you to the nursing profession and why you are passionate about it. Consider your personal experiences, such as volunteering or shadowing healthcare professionals, and how they have shaped your desire to become a nurse. Highlight your commitment to providing compassionate and quality patient care.

Share personal experiences in healthcare settings

Provide specific examples of your experiences in healthcare settings, such as clinical rotations or internships. Reflect on the challenges you faced, the lessons you learned, and how those experiences have impacted your growth and development as a future nurse. Discuss any significant interactions with patients, healthcare teams, or mentors that have shaped your understanding of the nursing profession.

Align with the nursing school’s values and mission

Research the nursing school’s values, mission, and educational philosophy. Ensure that your reflective essay aligns with these principles and demonstrates your commitment to the school’s mission. Use the nursing school’s prompts or essay questions as a guide to structure your essay and address the specific criteria they are looking for in applicants.

By following these tips, you can write a compelling nursing reflective essay that effectively conveys your passion for nursing, showcases your experiences, and aligns with the nursing school’s values. Remember to proofread your essay carefully for grammar and spelling errors and seek feedback from mentors or trusted individuals in the nursing profession to ensure your essay is clear, concise, and impactful.

(Table) Tips for Writing a Nursing Reflective Essay for Nursing School Application

Writing a nursing reflective essay can be a transformative experience for BSN nursing students. It allows them to gain valuable insight into their own growth and development as future healthcare professionals. Throughout this comprehensive guide, we have provided expert information and guidance on how to write a compelling nursing reflective essay.

By understanding the purpose of a reflective essay and the key elements to include, nursing students can effectively showcase their personal experiences and reflections. Incorporating reflection models such as Gibbs’ Reflective Model or Kolb Reflective Model can also provide structure and depth to their essays.

At NursingWriters.net, we are dedicated to empowering busy nurses and providing them with the tools they need to excel in their BSN programs. Whether it’s writing a reflective essay or any other writing challenge, we are here to support and guide nursing students towards success.

What is a nursing reflective essay?

A nursing reflective essay is a personal essay where the writer reflects on their own experiences and how those experiences have shaped their growth and development in the nursing profession.

How is a reflective essay in nursing different from a personal statement?

While a reflective essay in nursing focuses on the writer’s personal experiences and reflections, a personal statement is more of a formal document that highlights the writer’s qualifications, achievements, and future goals in the nursing profession.

What are the key elements to include in a nursing reflective essay?

The key elements to include in a nursing reflective essay are the inciting incident or event, personal reflections on the experience, specific details to create a vivid setting, and a description of the actions taken by the writer. It is important to avoid including academic details and excessive focus on emotions.

How should I write the introduction of a nursing reflective essay?

To write an engaging and informative introduction for a nursing reflective essay, you can grab the reader’s attention with an intriguing opening line, provide context and background information, and present a clear thesis statement. Focus on the specific event or experience that will be the main focus of the essay.

How should I structure the body paragraphs of a nursing reflective essay?

The body paragraphs of a nursing reflective essay should have a clear structure. Use the first paragraph to present the thesis statement and provide background information on the event. Use subsequent paragraphs to explore your reflections, emotions, and actions taken. Use specific examples and anecdotes to make the essay more engaging.

How should I conclude a nursing reflective essay?

To write a strong conclusion for a nursing reflective essay, you can summarize the main points discussed in the essay, provide a final reflection on your growth and learning from the experience, restate the thesis statement, and leave the reader with a thought-provoking statement or future outlook.

What are some tips for writing a nursing reflective essay?

Some tips for writing a nursing reflective essay include starting early, conducting thorough self-reflection, organizing your thoughts and ideas, and seeking feedback from peers or instructors. Pay attention to proper grammar and spelling, coherent writing style, and adhere to any formatting guidelines provided.

How can reflective tools and models help with nursing reflective essays?

Reflective tools and models provide structure and guidance for nursing students when writing reflective essays. Models such as Gibbs’ Reflective Model, Dewey’s Reflective Thinking Model, Kolb Reflective Model, and Schön Reflective Model can be used as frameworks for organizing thoughts and experiences in a nursing reflective essay.

What are the benefits of reflective writing in nursing?

Reflective writing in nursing offers benefits such as enhanced self-awareness, improved critical thinking skills, increased empathy and understanding of patient experiences, and continuous professional development. It promotes lifelong learning and helps improve patient care.

Where can I find nursing reflective essay examples?

You can find nursing reflective essay examples that showcase different experiences, reflections, and growth. These examples incorporate personal reflections, specific details, and professional insights into nursing practice. They demonstrate the diversity of topics and experiences that can be explored in nursing reflective essays.

How can I write a nursing reflective essay for nursing school applications?

To write a nursing reflective essay for nursing school applications, reflect on your passion for nursing, personal experiences in healthcare settings, and future goals in the nursing profession. Address specific prompts and align the content with the nursing school’s values and mission.

How can writing a nursing reflective essay benefit BSN nursing students?

Writing a nursing reflective essay allows BSN nursing students to gain insight into their own growth and development as future healthcare professionals. It helps improve critical thinking skills, self-awareness, and understanding of patient experiences. It also promotes continuous professional development.

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Self-Care For Nurses – 25 Proven Strategies to Take Better Care of Yourself

Are you a nurse who feels like there is not enough time in the day? Do you feel fatigued or overwhelmed? Perhaps you can’t remember the last time you ate a good meal or slept eight hours in one night. If this sounds like you, self-care strategies for nurses are something you should consider implementing in your life. Are you asking yourself, “How can nurses practice self-care?" If so, this article is undoubtedly for you. As you continue reading, you will learn about 25 proven self-care strategies for nurses to take better care of themselves, find reasons why self-care is so crucial for nurses, and discover the consequences of the lack of self-care for nurses.

What Exactly is Self-Care in Nursing?

7 reasons why self-care is so important for nurses.

1. Self-care for nurses is a stress management tool. 2. When nurses practice self-care, their ability to demonstrate compassion and empathy is replenished. 3. Self-care for nurses promotes safety in the workplace. 4. Nurses who practice self-care typically provide higher-quality care to patients. 5. Nurses who practice self-care have a decreased occurrence of depression. 6. Self-care strategies for nurses promote better sleep, which improves energy, making it easier to perform on the job. 7. Self-care practices for nurses are associated with healthier lifestyles, which means decreased risk of health-related problems.

What are the 8 Key Areas of Self-Care for Nurses?

1. physical self-care:, 2. psychological self-care:, 3. emotional self-care:, 4. social self-care:, 5. professional self-care:, 6. environmental self-care:, 7. spiritual self-care:, 8. financial self-care:, how can nurses practice self-care to take better care of themselves, physical self-care strategies for nurses, 1. exercise regularly:, 2. eat a well-balanced diet:, 3. get plenty of rest:, psychological self-care strategies for nurses, 1. practice meditation:, 2. try keeping a journal:, 3. do a digital detox:, emotional self-care strategies for nurses, 1. learn to practice mindfulness:, 2. use affirmations:, 3. practice gratitude:, 4. know when to seek help:, social self-care strategies for nurses, 1. nurture relationships with friends and family:, 2. set boundaries for relationships:, 3. focus on spending quality time with others:, professional self-care strategies for nurses, 1. establish the difference between personal time and work time:, 2. get organized:, 3. be honest with yourself about your workload:, environmental self-care strategies for nurses, 1. declutter your work and home:, 2. create a designated workspace:, 3. make your personal space comfortable and inviting:, spiritual self-care strategies for nurses, 2. connect with nature:, 3. talk with a spiritual advisor:, financial self-care strategies for nurses, 1. keep track of the money in your accounts:, 2. create an emergency savings fund:, 3. develop a s.m.a.r.t. plan :, 8 common barriers to self-care for nurses and how to deal with them, how to deal with it:, 2. having unrealistic expectations, 3. not adjusting well to change, 4. the misconception that implementing self-care is a sign of weakness, 5. not feeling motivated to care for oneself, 6. not enough time in the day, 7. being unaware of your own needs, 8. not understanding the value of self-care, self-care advice from a nurse to a nurse during the covid-19 pandemic, • learn to say “no:”, • take care of your mental health:, • carve out time for yourself:, what are some risks associated with lack of self-care for nurses, • brain fog:, • weight gain and weight-related health conditions:, • strained relationships:, 15 useful resources to help nurses care for themselves, • headspace, facebook groups/pages, • self-care and self-confidence :, • self-care ideas for everyone :, • nurses for self-care :, youtube videos, • a healthy nurse: better self-care, better patient care :, • 5 tips for nurses to maintain their self-care :, • how nurses can prioritize self-care during a pandemic :, • sugar pills podcast: a practical guide to self-care :, • iced coffee and self-care :, • essentialism: the disciplined pursuit of less :, • the little book of self-care- 200 ways to refresh, restore, and rejuvenate :, • the self-care project :, my final thoughts, frequently asked questions answered by our expert, 1. is self-care an ethical obligation for a nurse, 2. as a busy nurse, how do i know when to begin self-care, 3. can self-care feel selfish for a nurse, 4. does self-care for nurses cost a lot of money, 5. my nurse leader does not allow me time off to practice self-care, what should i do, 6. what are the 3 self-care activities every nurse must do.

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Effective Self Care Planning Nursing Essay

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• Volume 19 - 2014
• Number 3: September 2014
• Practicing Self-Care for Nurses

Practicing Self-Care for Nurses: A Nursing Program Initiative

Cynthia A. Blum is an Associate Professor at the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton, Florida. Dr. Blum is a Certified Nurse Educator since 2007. She obtained her PhD from Florida Atlantic University, where caring is studied as integral to knowing self and other. This work emphasizes the importance of self-care as a basic premise to honoring self. Dr. Blum teaches an elective course, Caring for Self , for undergraduate students at FAU.

Self-care is imperative to personal health, sustenance to continue to care for others, and professional growth. This article briefly reviews stressors common to students and nurses and the importance of practicing self-care to combat stress and promote health in practice. Florida Atlantic University offers a course for all levels of undergraduate nursing students called Caring for Self . The course, supported by principles of Adult Learning Theory , focuses on guiding the nurse to practice and model self-care. The author describes the evolution of this self-care initiative by discussing the needs assessment, course description and strategies, examples of course activities, and an exemplar of student impact. The conclusion offers discussion of challenges and lessons  noted by faculty and students.

Key words: Self-care, nursing education, stressors, personal health, lifestyle, life goals, elective courses, Adult Learning Theory, nursing, journaling, creative self

“You cannot keep giving to others if you do not give to yourself, first. It is like pouring water from a vessel: you cannot pour and pour without ever refilling it - eventually it will run dry." Leslie K. Lobell ( 2001, para. 7 )

...nurses often express reluctance to take the time required to care for themselves... Nurses are taught to care for others; it is ingrained in their life purpose. However, in my experience, nurses often express reluctance to take the time required to care for themselves or they have difficulty finding self-care activities that match their interests and that are easily assimilated into their lives. Yet self-care can help one cope with stressors inherent to both practicing nurses and nursing students that can lead to exhaustion, tension, and fatigue (sometimes known as burnout), such as clinical decision-making and staffing concerns ( Awa, Plaumann, & Walter, 2010 ). While short term stress reduction programs ( Kravits, McAllister-Black, Grant, & Kirk, 2008 ) and techniques ( Mackenzie, Poulin, & Seidman-Carlson, 2006 ) are reported in the literature, an academic course focused on self-care has not been described.

This article briefly reviews stressors common to students and nurses and the importance of practicing self-care to combat stress and promote health in practice. At Florida Atlantic University (FAU), we offer a course for all levels of undergraduate nursing students called Caring for Self . The course, supported by principles of Adult Learning Theory ( Knowles, 1990 ), focuses on guiding the nurse to practice and model self-care. I will describe the evolution of this course by discussing the needs assessment, course description and activities, and an exemplar of student impact. The article conclusion offers discussion of lessons learned and challenges encountered by faculty and students.

Brief Overview of Stressors in Nursing

Stressors for Nursing Students

Jimenez, Navia-Osorio, and Diaz ( 2009 ) reported on types of nursing student stress. They identified stressors primarily related to clinical practice that often result in psychological symptoms. Using the Perceived Stress Scale, the researchers identified “Seeing the pain and suffering of patients and relatives (item 23), Being unable to provide appropriate responses to doctors’, teachers’, and patients’ questions (item 19), [and] Not knowing how to help patients with biopsychosocial problems (item 7)” as the most stressful aspects of clinical practice ( Jimenez et al., 2009, p. 446 ). Academic and external stressors also existed, but were perceived as less stressful than those encountered in clinical practice. The authors suggested “informing students about possible stressors associated with their profession, and introducing interventions to support development of professionalism, social skills, and coping capacity for clinical practice” ( Jimenez et al., 2009, p. 442 ).

...it may be helpful for nursing faculty to examine program curricula and implement self-care strategies in coursework... In a systematic review of the literature, the most common sources of nursing student stress related to academics were reported as reviews, workload, and problems associated with studying ( Pulido-Martos, Augusto-Landa, & Lope-Zafra, 2012 ). In a study of Japanese students, Yamashita, Saito, and Takao ( 2012 ) found that the most commonly reported source of stress was taking examinations, followed by relationships with friends, engaging in clinical practice, and presenting reports. The stressors described above have been reported informally by nursing students for many years. To address them, it may be helpful for nursing faculty to examine program curricula and implement self-care strategies in coursework if possible. Such strategies could guide nursing students to develop self-care activities and habitual practices aimed at decreasing stress at an early point in their careers.

Stressors for Practicing Nurses

For practicing nurses, occupational stressors noted in the literature included protecting patients’ rights; autonomy and informed consent to treatment; staffing patterns; advanced care planning; surrogate decision-making ( Ulrich et al., 2010 ); greater patient acuity; unpredictable and challenging workspaces; violence; increased paperwork; reduced managerial support ( Ward, 2011 ); and role-based factors such as lack of power, role ambiguity, and role conflict ( Moustaka & Constantinidis, 2010 ). Threats to career development and achievement, including threat of redundancy, being undervalued, and unclear promotion prospects were also reported as stressful ( Moustaka & Constantinidis, 2010 ).  Ulrich et al. ( 2010 ) found that younger nurses and those with less experience were more prone to experience job related stress. 

...person directed interventions reduced burnout in the short-term, the programs with both intervention types created longer lasting positive effects.  Workplace models of self-care designed to decrease stress and incorporate self-care have been implemented and evaluated ( Kravits et al., 2008 ; Mackenzie et al., 2006 ). Kravits et al. ( 2008 ) described the use of relaxation techniques and art as stress reducing interventions. After discussing the impact of stress on health, program participants developed a personalized wellness plan to incorporate these modalities into their lives. While immediate effects were found, the authors suggest that longitudinal studies are needed to determine if the interventions produced long term stress reduction.  In a pilot study, Mackenzie et al. ( 2006 ) implemented a mindfulness-based stress reduction program noting significant improvement in burnout symptoms, relaxation, and life satisfaction. A recent review of 25 person- and/or organization-directed programs provided a summary of interventions aimed to prevent burnout which may result from persistent stress ( Awa et al., 2010 ). The authors found that 80 percent of the programs they reviewed led to a reduction in burnout with 68 percent of these programs being person-directed, 8 percent being organization-directed, and 24 percent being a combination of both intervention types. While person directed interventions reduced burnout in the short-term, the programs with both intervention types created longer lasting positive effects.

Finally, it is well documented in the literature that stress contributes to disease. When the hormones cortisol and adrenalin remained too long in the blood stream, the results can be hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, and a decrease in the function of the immune system. In addition, stress can prematurely age us and leave us chronically fatigued or depressed ( Cohen, Janicki-Deverts, & Miller, 2007 ; Wilson, Begeny, Boyle, Schneider, & Bennett, 2011 ). Nursing students and practicing nurses alike frequently deal with many of the stressors discussed above. It is hoped that by developing and practicing self-care habits, nurses may be able to decrease some of the stressors and improve their health. The next section will briefly describe some benefits of self-care and one way to incorporate this concept into a nursing program.

A Self-Care Initiative for Nursing Students

Needs Assessment

Common themes of self-care... included proper diet, exercise, and stress-reduction techniques.  While provision of holistic care is a hallmark of competent nursing practice, holistic activities centered on self are less prevalent for nurses ( McElligott, Siemers, Thomas, & Kohn, 2009 ). However, the importance of caring for self is reflected in the positive energy and vitality that can be brought to the workplace ( Richards, 2013 ). Researchers have described self-care practices of older aging female nurses ( Gabrielle, Jackson, & Mannix, 2008 ), nurses practicing in end-of-life settings ( Malloy, Thrane, Winston, Virani, & Kelly, 2013 ), and students ( Chow & Kalischuk, 2008 ). Common themes of self-care for each of these groups included proper diet, exercise, and stress-reduction techniques.

The lesser prevalence of self-care activities noted in nurses ( McElligott et al., 2009 ) combined with the clear benefits of self-care practices ( Richards, 2013 ) prompted the nursing faculty at Florida Atlantic University to explore the option of including these types of activities in the nursing program coursework. The faculty moved forward with this initiative under the premise that teaching about the concept of self-care should be linked to the recipients in a manner in which they best learn, and guided by the principles of adult learning theory ( Knowles, 1990 ).

Adult Learning Theory

Knowles ( 1990 ) proposed andragogy as the art and science of teaching adults. Andragogy is a theory of adult learning that shifts the power relationship to learner-centered as opposed to teacher-centered. When designing courses centered on these principles, learners are independent and self-directed using previous experience as a resource upon which they can draw ( Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 1998 ). Applying adult learning theory, the teacher recognizes that adult learners use problem centered approaches in which immediate application can be made. Attention to the learner’s personal goals and providing instruction and assignments that are practical and useful in their work or personal life makes the course relevant and meaningful to the adult learner. Using these principles, we developed the course so that the students would self-identify stressors and potential self-care practices to address them.

Course Description and Strategies

In the nursing program at Florida Atlantic University, we focus on all aspects of caring and recognize that to care for others, it is equally important to care for oneself. As such, we offer a three credit elective course, primarily attended by registered nurses (RNs) returning for a baccalaureate degree, called Caring for Self . The course description reads; “Experiential course through which students and faculty work together to address the nature of personal mind/body/spirit connectedness as integral to healing and health. Students are assisted in making this experiential knowledge relevant to others” ( Florida Atlantic University, 2014 ).

Teaching and learning strategies employed in this course are lecture, small group work, focused discussions, exploration of various self-care modalities, journaling, and evaluation of mind/body/spirit approaches to health. Consistent with the nursing metaparadigm for professional identity development in undergraduate nursing education, course objectives include examination of the images of nurses and the discipline of nursing from multiple perspectives and exploration of the holistic perspective of caring in the framework of nurse, environment, person, and health ( Lee & Fawcett, 2013 ).

Participants use reflective journaling to self-examine stressors.  As the course progresses, guest speakers present content along with experiential opportunities that include steps to incorporate selected self-care activities (e.g., Feng Shui, labyrinth walks, pet therapy, nutritional changes) into one’s life. Participants use reflective journaling to self-examine stressors. Students then address these concerns by creating a personal treasure map with an unfolding plan to achieve a self-selected life goal. Finally, students complete the course with an activity where they introduce fellow nurses to another modality of self-care and a written assignment to reflect upon their experiences with incorporating self-care activities into their lives. Table 1 describes the coursework which supports achievement of the course objectives and the weight given to each assignment toward the overall course grade. To incorporate principles of Adult Learning Theory ( Knowles, 1990 ), students actively participate in amending and revising assignments to reflect their understanding of the course content.

Clear guidelines can provide direction for students as they progress through a course and thus help to set the stage for self-transformation to occur. Table 2 describes the course philosophy used as a framework in the Caring for Self course to remind participants of our purpose. These assertions were originally developed by a faculty member ( Schuster, 1997 ) and have since expanded as other faculty teach the course and incorporate work from the course text, The Artist’s Way ( Cameron, 1992 ).

Examples of Course Activities

The Caring for Self course meets weekly. For each class, a speaker or activity introduces potential self-care practice activities so that students have many opportunities to find at least one modality to incorporate into their lives. Topics vary each semester, based on available experts, and have included: Feng Shui, music therapy, massage, Tai Chi, Reiki, a labyrinth walk, Mantra, drum circles, traditional yoga, tea, herbal therapy, healing touch, and mindfulness meditation. Table 3 briefly describes some of these self-care practices.

A student favorite is chair yoga taught by Vera Paley, a 93 year old chair yoga instructor ( Picture 1 ) who leaves the students feeling challenged to keep up and inspired to become more active. Picture 2 shows a student excited by breaking a board in her first attempt at marital arts. Each modality listed above includes student participation to help students learn the activity and encourage them to incorporate it into their daily lives.

Picture 1. Chair Yoga Instructor (used with permission)

Picture 2. Nursing Student Excited about Breaking a Board when Participating in Martial Arts (used with permission)

In addition to the planned presentation for a class, we discuss readings focused on coming to know one’s self using the course text, The Artist’s Way ( Cameron, 1992 ) as a guide. Within the class, self is referred to as one’s creative self, inner child, and life artist ( Cameron, 1992 ).

At the end of the semester, a weekend intensive is held where students present additional self-care activities and health promotion topics important to them. Past groups have shared interactive experiences including pet therapy, art therapy, guided imagery, Chakra mediation, aromatherapy, and various forms of marital arts. Writing the final course paper helps the student to “pull it all together” and identify course content that was meaningful to them and self-care activities that they intend to incorporate into their lives.

Students have indicated that they enjoyed learning about the various self-care practice activities. The next section will describe an exemplar of a specific student (name changed) enrolled in the Caring for Self course, taken from classroom discussion and her personal reflection assignment.

Within class discussion, Jamie (name changed) described herself as a hard working nurse who prided herself on excellent patient care and administrative abilities on a special procedures unit. She said that she was frequently recognized by patients with letters of praise and through her employer’s recognition program. Yet, she found that although she gave her heart and soul to her patients, she often left work feeling dissatisfied and feeling that she was not where she belonged. From the first day of class in our weekly discussions, Jamie shared her distress and her desire to abandon her situation. She said that she feared not knowing what was next or how she would pay her bills should she leave her long term position. In the following weeks of the course, Jamie said that she found the class to be place where she could express herself openly and her peers were very supportive. Each week, Jamie would share that her reflective journaling continued to focus on her job-related frustrations.

One day, I noticed that Jamie entered the class with a beaming look on her face. She shared that a few days before she had left her distressing work situation and felt lighter, and in control. As a result of her class discussions and reflective journaling, she had decided to focus on herself, her education, and being happy with her life choices. Soon after, Jamie took a homecare position working with an elderly gentleman whose family was out of state. Eighteen months later she is completing her baccalaureate degree in nursing and has decided to enter a nurse practitioner program this fall, where she will specialize in gerontology.  Making a deliberate choice to care for herself has changed Jamie’s outlook and helped her to find contentment in her current work environment which she will now pursue in an advanced practice role.

Challenges and Lessons

The realization that all undergraduate students... need content focused on self-care practices has led to incorporation of self-care activities within several required courses...  Recently our college underwent a curriculum re-evaluation to assure that we were meeting a) accreditation standards as defined by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing ( 2008 ) using Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice and b) state mandated criteria for nursing programs. As faculty came together to identify the presence of consistent curricular objectives within required nursing courses, the need to assure that we were teaching self-care practices became evident. However, we were challenged by state limits on the maximum number of credit hours that our program could require in the baccalaureate nursing degree program. The realization that all undergraduate students (and not just BSN completion students) need content focused on self-care practices has led to incorporation of self-care activities within several required courses for pre-licensure programs and the RN-BSN programs. The Caring for Self course remains available to all undergraduate nursing students as an elective.

A challenge in teaching the elective course is student perception that the course will result in an easy “A” grade. Students quickly learn that the academic work is intermingled with challenging activities; some of which their belief systems may not support. A course goal is to find one or more self-care activities that are meaningful to each student; in this quest they hopefully learn to appreciate the uniqueness of both the activities and of each other.

Final Reflections from the Author

...self-care not only has personal benefits but also may help nurses to role model desirable self-care behaviors to others.  One only needs to look at our 93 year old chair yoga instructor to be reminded that caring for oneself has lasting effects. Ms. Paley shares how her work at the FAU College of Nursing Memory and Wellness Center keeps seniors active despite any physical limitations they may have. The life lessons and implications for one’s health and well-being demonstrated by this instructor’s presentation and work remind my students that self-care not only has personal benefits but also may help nurses to role model desirable self-care behaviors to others.

In light of the benefits I have seen in the development of this academic course and the successes of my students, I challenge you to consider what you currently do to practice self-care behaviors. Are you satisfied with the results? Are you successfully coping with your stressors, such as work, school, home, and life balance as they may apply to you? Do you need to change your routine and invigorate your lifestyle? Consider trying something new today as you care for yourself! Although my work is with nursing students, the literature supports both the presence of stressors ( Moustaka & Constantinidis, 2010 ; Ulrich et al., 2010 ; Ward, 2011 ), and the benefit of healthy behaviors for practicing nurses ( Gabrielle et al., 2008 ; Malloy et al., 2013 ; Richards, 2013 ), and all of society.

It is my hope that by describing the basis of this nursing program initiative to promote self-care, our work at FAU may provide the impetus for other nursing programs to discuss how to potentially include this type of content for nursing students, whether it be in a standalone course or incorporated throughout the curricula. I hope that employers consider sessions for nurses that address stressors and self-care behaviors, and that practicing nurses, even without employer support, would choose to explore one or more of the activities I have described in this article. I close with a final quote that I feel accentuates the absolute necessity of practicing self-care: “I have come to believe that caring for myself is not self-indulgent.  Caring for myself is an act of survival." Audre Lorde ( Stanny, 2012 ) .

Cynthia A. Blum PhD, RN, CNE Email: [email protected]

© 2014 OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Article published September 30, 2014

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Wilson, R. S., Begeny, C. T., Boyle, P. A., Schneider, J. A., & Bennett, D. A. (2011). Vulnerability to stress, anxiety, and development of dementia in old age. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 19 (4), 327-34. doi:10.1097/JGP.0b013e31820119da.

Yamashita, K., Saito, M., Takao, T. (2012). Stress and coping styles in Japanese nursing students. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 18 , 489–496. doi:10.1111/j.1440-172X.2012.02056.x

September 30, 2014

DOI : 10.3912/OJIN.Vol19No03Man03

https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol19No03Man03

Citation: Blum, C., (September 30, 2014) "Practicing Self-Care for Nurses: A Nursing Program Initiative" OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 19, No. 3, Manuscript 3.

• Article September 30, 2014 Social Media and Nurses: Insights for Promoting Health for Individual and Professional Use Jennifer Jackson, BScN Hon, RN ; Robert Fraser, MN, RN ; Peter Ash, B.Mgmt
• Article September 30, 2014 Implementation of a Participant-Centered Weight Management Program for Older Nurses: A Feasibility Study Eun-Shim Nahm, PhD, RN, FAAN; Joan Warren, PhD, RN-BC, NEA-BC; Erika Friedmann, PhD; Jeanine Brown, MS, RN; Debbie Rouse, RN-BC, VA-BC; Bu Kyung Park, MS, RN; Kyle W. Quigley, MBA, BS
• Article August 14, 2020 Developing a Course to Promote Self-Care for Nurses to Address Burnout Greg Couser, MD, MPH; Sherry Chesak, PhD, RN ; Susanne Cutshall, DNP, APRN, CNS, APHN-BC, HWNC-BC
• Article August 01, 2023 The Impact of Transcendental Meditation: Reducing Burnout and Enhancing Well-Being in Frontline Healthcare Clinicians During the COVID-19 Pandemic Margaret M. Calarco, PhD, RN, NEA-BC; Kelcey J. Stratton, PhD
• Article September 30, 2014 Effective Interpersonal Communication: A Practical Guide to Improve Your Life Kathleen A. Vertino, DNP, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP
• Article September 30, 2014 Factors Related to Healthy Diet and Physical Activity in Hospital-Based Clinical Nurses Nancy M. Albert, PhD, CCNS, CHFN, CCRN, NE-BC, FAHA, FCCM ; Robert Butler, MS ; Jeanne Sorrell, PhD, RN
• Article September 30, 2014 Designing Exercise and Nutrition Programs to Promote Normal Weight Maintenance for Nurses Karen Gabel Speroni, PhD, MHSA, BSN, RN
• Article September 30, 2014 Healthy Eating for Healthy Nurses: Nutrition Basics to Promote Health for Nurses and Patients Denise Reed MS, RD, LD

Self-care is the “daily process of being aware of and attending to one’s basic physiological and emotional needs” and the foundation for physical and emotional wellness to prevent mental health, occupational, or educational burnout. Self-care includes strategies for having healthy relationships, physical environments, and optimal quality of life (see Cook-Cottone, 2018). Self-Care also includes engaging in self-compassion, self-awareness, and self-reflection to identify practices that promote happiness, optimal quality of life, and health including, but not limited to, the following categories: emotional, intellectual, physical, social, environmental, financial, and physical health.

• What activities will I initiate to optimize healthcare through my courageous leadership that is grounded in self-care?

Helpful Resources

Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation American Nurses Association initiative connecting nurses with self-care resources

Mindful Self-Care Scale A validated and standardized tool for assessing the variety and frequency of self-care strategies developed by Dr. Catherine Cook-Cottone.

A Look at the Self-Care Wheel: Templates, Worksheets and Activities Article by Dr. Jeremy Sutton on PositivePsychology.com

Recommended Readings

Blum, C. (September 30, 2014).  Practicing self-care for nurses: a nursing program initiative .  OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing,  Vol. 19, No. 3, Manuscript 3.

Fonrtaine, DK, Cunningham, T, May, N. (2021)  Self-Care for New and Student Nurses.   Indianapolis, IN: Sigma Theta Tau

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Self-Care in Nurses

Affiliations.

• 1 University of South Alabama College of Nursing, Mobile, AL.
• 2 Clinical Counseling Psychology Department, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL.
• PMID: 35431686
• PMCID: PMC9007545
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jradnu.2021.11.001

The health of nurses impacts the care of patients in healthcare settings today both inside and outside of hospitals. Many papers are written about nurses' burnout, depression, poor physical and mental health, weight gain, unhealthy eating patterns, back injury, moral negativity, and lack of job satisfaction. However, little attention has been paid to self-care in nurses. The goal of this paper is to discuss the importance of nurses caring for themselves as they work under stressful conditions regularly. Job satisfaction is necessary for nurses to have a healthy work-life balance and a desire to go to work. There are evidence-based interventions that can make a difference in a nurse's quality of life that can be implemented independently or within the work setting. Suggestions made by researchers include working less than 40 hr/week in a clinical setting, working a consistent time of day without rotations, expressing emotions, taking time to exercise, participating in a support group, and incorporating a place designated as a sanctuary in the clinical setting. Personal ways to improve health include preparing healthy meals before working a shift, getting proper sleep, utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy, participating in mindfulness training, and practicing stress reduction techniques.

Keywords: Job satisfaction; Nurses; Self-care; Wellbeing; Work environment.

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The ethical imperative of self-care

For mental health professionals, it’s not a luxury

Vol. 52 No. 3 Print version: page 47

It’s well known that mental health professions are associated with burnout. That risk increases when the general population faces prolonged stress, psychotherapy is in higher demand, and students’ needs—both remote and in-person—are more taxing. As providers continue shouldering their patients’ personal difficulties alongside their own, some psychologists argue self-care isn’t an optional add-on to a busy schedule but an ethical and moral imperative for the profession.

“We’re going through all the same things as our clients, yet we’re also holding space for them,” says Ana Rodriguez , PhD, a New York–based clinical psychologist and founder of the Self-Care Practice. “There’s so much new pressure on us that now more than ever it’s important that we support ourselves, especially if we have limited external supports.”

In addition to balancing their own stress with that of their patients and students, psychologists are facing unprecedented logistical challenges—working from home with families around, navigating new technologies involved in telehealth and remote teaching, and overcoming barriers to certain treatment methods.

For practitioners, many types of treatment are easy to deliver online; however, some services are more difficult to transform into successful remote solutions. For example, it may be difficult for clinicians to conduct exposure therapy for social anxiety when it’s not safe to go out in public, says Erica Wise, PhD, an ethics consultant and clinical professor emerita in the clinical psychology doctoral program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Depending on the specific focus of their practice, there may be complex technical layers involved in effectively translating evidence-based treatment to a virtual context, especially during a pandemic. Among many examples, this would apply to the work of psychologists who are treating people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, health and contamination fears or phobias, social anxiety, isolation, depression, and hoarding disorders,” Wise says. “And many of these problems are directly exacerbated by the pandemic.”

Even when patients don’t have complex treatment plans, psychotherapy can contribute to a risk of burnout. Psychologists can easily grow exhausted by addressing the same stress without new solutions, says Natalie Dattilo , PhD, a clinical psychologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Before the pandemic, she says, patients presented with diverse problems; now, there’s not as much variety, and there are constant reminders about how difficult life is for everyone.

Black practitioners in particular face unprecedented, prolonged strain. Not only are Black individuals sorting through their own trauma with therapists in higher frequency, but White people are increasingly seeking support from Black professionals to work through issues of racism brought up by current events. “Now that there’s a White lens on these topics, there’s so much more demand for Black therapists to be talking about these issues we’ve been attuned to our entire lives,” says Ayanna Abrams , PsyD, a clinical psychologist and founder of Ascension Behavioral Health in Atlanta.

It’s important for psychologists to advocate for each other in material ways, says Laura Boxley, PhD, ABPP-CN, chair of APA’s Advisory Committee on Colleague Assistance (ACCA). “If I recognize that the well-being of my colleague is related to my leadership as division chair or director of training, it becomes my responsibility to set policy that protects the well-being of those that work for me,” she says.

Personal burnout can lead to professional impairment

The longer this stress goes on, the more likely it will surface in, and potentially interfere with, psychologists’ work. “Our personal wellness as psychologists really does impact our ability to help our patients or teach our students, because it directly interfaces with our competence,” says Wise.

For example, Abrams says, chronic stress can prompt people to feel disconnected from themselves and others, which can result in a less-attuned, less-sensitive, less-empathic therapist or professor. Stress can also impair treatment and teaching more directly: Under strain, it’s more difficult to exercise flexible and creative thinking, which Abrams says can in turn make it hard to help patients reframe their own thoughts—a crucial component of psychotherapy.

Even if a psychologist’s stress doesn’t noticeably interfere with treatment, patients and therapists are likely to catch on, says Brittany Avila , PhD, an instructor of psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno. A psychologist’s own neglect of self-care can prevent patients or students from taking suggestions for coping strategies seriously.

Clinicians and professors alike are responsible for modeling healthy emotions and behavior. In order to teach other people to engage in self-care during stressful periods, you have to exhibit positive behaviors yourself. “If you don’t model it yourself, they won’t take it seriously, or they just won’t know how to practice it,” says Avila, who regularly includes self-care practices as graded assignments in her courses.

Unfortunately, self-care is hard to come by, and that’s no different for psychologists. In a society that demands productivity, it can be tough—and even feel selfish—to fit new, self-focused practices into an already busy schedule. John Norcross , PhD, ABPP, a distinguished professor and the chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania and a clinical professor of psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, encourages psychologists to reframe thoughts about self-care from a luxurious add-on to a professional imperative.

“Without self-care, there’s not good patient care,” Norcross says. “Integrating it into a routine becomes easier when you see it not as an additional burden but as part of your profession and craft.”

Here are some practical strategies for incorporating self-care into your life and work, as suggested by fellow psychologists.

Go back to basics

The first step to ensuring your own well-being is monitoring your own stress levels and how they’re affecting you emotionally and physically. Rodriguez encourages prioritizing attention to one’s body: Ample sleep, a nutritious diet, and routine exercise are building blocks for well-being, and they support the ability to cope with stress.

To ensure these practices make it into your daily life, Wise recommends building a routine—scheduling time to break for meals, setting an alert to remind you of a reasonable bedtime, and leaving your shoes by the bed as a signal to go for a morning walk.

If you notice you’re feeling exhausted or disconnected at any point, resist the urge to power forward and, instead, tune in to your body. Mindfulness and meditation, which don’t have to be time-consuming, are both proven to reduce stress. If you find yourself tense during a therapy session, Norcross suggests adjusting your posture, moving your legs a bit in a way that doesn’t distract the patient, and taking a drink of water.

While self-care hinges on self-awareness, ensuring your own well-being is rarely as simple as sleeping a few more hours each night or eating more vegetables—especially for mental health professionals, Boxley says. For that reason, it’s important to adopt a comprehensive, individualized approach—and to avoid making self-care another to-do item, which can only compound feelings of burnout.

One way to do that: Go easy on yourself and celebrate any progress you make. You’ll be discouraged from sticking with your self-care routine if you aim for perfection. “These aren’t issues we ever get fully solved,” Wise says. “We’ll always be working on taking care of ourselves.”

Take a proactive approach

If you tend to see self-care as a last-ditch effort to restore dwindling energy, try shifting your perspective, suggests Diane Bridgeman, PhD, a current board member of the Monterey Bay Psychological Association and former chair of ACCA. Rather than a reactive strategy, self-care should be seen as a comprehensive method of ensuring you—and your clients, staff, or students—thrive.

“How you define self-care is important,” she says. “It’s not just about being OK, but about flourishing, which requires de-stressing from everyday problems before they become serious.”

While self-care works best when it’s proactive, everyone’s practice is unique. Bridgeman encourages people to think through activities and relationships that spark joy. In what situations are you able to truly relax, reflect, and regroup? Aim to build those experiences into your routine alongside the building blocks of health, and remember that feeling guilty about not “sufficiently” following your self-sustaining routine is counterproductive.

Establish work boundaries

In a national survey of psychologists, Bridgeman and clinical psychologist Daniel Galper, PhD, found that 72% of psychologists reported that their number one concern and personal and professional challenge was an “overly challenging work-life balance,” followed closely by “burnout or compassion fatigue.” Bridgeman says the risks for those challenges have only increased during COVID-19.

The demands on your time and attention may be more intense than ever, which is why it’s so important to limit how much you devote to work. If you work outside the home, Norcross suggests implementing a ritual that reminds you you’re done working when you enter your door. For example, you could change clothes, make a cup of tea, or turn on your favorite music—anything that turns off your “work” switch.

Now that many professionals are working from home, it’s even easier for work to trickle into hours normally reserved for rest or recreation. It’s inevitable that unexpected, timely tasks will pop up on occasion, but do your best to stick with a routine that separates work time from personal time. Consider adding a “ fake commute ” to your routine, which replaces the daily transition from work to home with walks, runs, and bike rides. And if you don’t have a dedicated home office, do your best to reserve your workspace for work alone.

On top of clarifying when you work, reconsider how much you work and with whom. For example, Abrams says she often receives emails from laypeople and professionals who want to tap into her expertise of racism-based trauma to overcome their own biases. Instead of educating people about the impact of racism by email, she recommends referring them to another therapist or an online resource.

You may also want to rethink your patient load and what types of patients you take on—especially if more work would interfere with your ability to take care of yourself and support your patients. “Many of us tend to give from what we have left, but it’s important for psychologists, especially marginalized populations, to offer to others from a place of rest,” Abrams says.

While it is important to promote balance in your work life, it’s not always easy (or possible) to control systemic factors that contribute to burnout, like gender expectations and division of labor at home and in the workplace, Boxley says. She advocates for people in positions of power to challenge the system that impedes equitable strategies for professional and personal well-being. “Top-down pressures are often not amenable to an individual just deciding to set boundaries,” she says.

Seek out support

It’s easy to isolate in chronic stress, especially when getting together with a friend or family member in person might not be a safe option. According to Rodriguez, feeling disconnected only compounds the original stress.

Prioritizing social interaction with friends and family can be helpful. But a professional outlet is meaningful, too. To take advantage of community support, you can also find a mentor, connect with your supervision group, or reach out to professional organizations such as APA or the Association of Black Psychologists for resources. Norcross suggests psychologists also occasionally go to therapy themselves when stress levels are high.

Samara Toussaint , PsyD, a clinical psychologist and founder of Path2Growth Counseling Services in Long Island, New York, says she began reaching out to colleagues for support after COVID-19 caused her practice to triple. “We’ve never dealt with so many compounded issues at once, and we really need to take the time to process what we experience with colleagues—people who understand,” Toussaint says. “That ‘me too’ can go a long way.”

Embrace flexibility

Because your normal coping mechanisms might not be available right now because of the pandemic, look for creative ways to replenish your reserves. As easy as it is to zone out by scrolling news or social media when you’re tired, keep in mind that form of stimulation—which Wise says is called “hyperreality”—only serves to add stress. Instead, schedule events or activities you can look forward to that also encourage a sense of mastery, such as a home project or a physically distanced outdoor activity you enjoy.

Take advantage, too, of any self-care resources in your organization. According to Boxley, psychologists generally agree about the centrality of self-care, but they’re often not aware of resources already available to them, even as many organizations are stepping up to provide self-care opportunities for staff. Christopher Watson, PhD, deputy associate chief of staff of behavioral health at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System , says he sees it as his responsibility to help his team provide the best clinical care to the veterans they work with. In addition to recharging opportunities at work—his organization streams virtual meditation sessions throughout the week—he encourages staff to use their leave when possible, or to shift around their schedules to better balance work with their kids’ distance learning.

“When we make these changes, it’s not just about convenience,” Watson says. “We always want to give our staff more opportunities to unplug so we can improve their coping and resilience and, as a result, improve the care they provide.”

Practice self-compassion

At its core, Dattilo says self-care is about self-compassion. Practically, that means recognizing your own limits and, if necessary, letting yourself off the hook. For example, you may not accomplish as much as you did in previous years, and your patients or students may not make major strides, either. That’s OK. “Right now, it may not be about remission or absence of symptoms but about helping people improve their coping and resilience,” Watson says. The same applies for instructors: If you can preserve your students’ progress, you’re likely ahead of the curve.

Make every effort to home in on personal and professional successes, no matter how small. Norcross recommends running a mental video of successful cases you’ve worked with; you could also keep track of encouraging words from colleagues or students. “Most psychologists are achievement-oriented, and our minds are inordinately preoccupied with cases that did not go well,” he says. “We need to be reminded of the good work we’re doing.”

If you veer off course, don’t beat yourself up. Part of self-care is recognizing you can’t be on top of everything all the time. “We’re all people before we’re professionals,” Watson says. “And while stress might impact everyone in different ways, it’s impacing everyone in some shape or form—including psychologists.”

Wellness webinar series APA, 2020

Self-care has never been more important Clay, R. A., APA Monitor on Psychology , July/August 2020

How to encourage student self-care Pappas, S., APA Monitor on Psychology , July/August 2020

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What Is Self-Care and Why Is It Important?

4 Ways to Practice Self-Care

What Is Self-Care?

• Building a Self-Care Plan

Self-care is the practice of taking care of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your life to promote health and wellness.

While many people may view self-care as a form of selfish indulgence, the act of caring for oneself is an important part of a person's overall well-being.

Many people do not fully understand what self-care means. Read on to find out more about what self-care is, examples of practicing self-care, and why it’s important for your mental and physical health.

Maskot / Getty Images

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), self-care is being able to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.

The WHO also mentions that self-care is a broad term and many facets of a person’s life come into play, including:

• Hygiene (general and personal)
• Lifestyle factors such as exercise level and leisure activities
• Environmental factors such as a person’s living conditions or social habits
• Socioeconomic factors such as a person’s income level or cultural beliefs
• Self-medication and following treatment plans for current illnesses

The main goal of self-care is to prevent or control disease and preserve overall well-being through consistently taking care of various aspects of your health.

For a person to practice true self-care, they must use personal responsibility and self-reliance in a way that positively impacts their health in the current moment and the future.

Overindulgence in spending

Binge-eating your favorite but unhealthy foods

Participating in activities that provide instant gratification

Going on expensive and lavish vacations

Perfecting oneself by any means necessary

Numbing bad feelings using alcohol or illicit substances

Binge-watching television

Prioritizing one's physical and mental health

Adopting healthy lifestyle habits that can be maintained long-term

Eating a healthy diet

Finding exercise activities that you enjoy and participating in them regularly

Getting an adequate amount of good-quality sleep

Following treatment plans for existing conditions accordingly

Taking time out for yourself to participate in healthy activities you enjoy

What Types of Self-Care Are There?

Various forms of self-care involve different activities or actions. Each form is as important as the other and drives optimal health and well-being.

Physical Health

Taking care of your physical health is a form of self-care that helps improve quality of life and prevent or manage chronic conditions.

Physical self-care will be different for each person, but ways you can practice physical self-care include:

• Getting the proper amount of exercise
• Eating regular, well-balanced meals that are mostly whole foods and staying hydrated
• Engaging in relaxing activities that can help manage stress
• Getting enough sleep
• Getting regular medical and dental care

Mental Health

Mental self-care is designed to drive a healthy mind by practicing brain-stimulating activities and healthy mental behaviors. Mental self-care can help you manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy.

While no two people are the same, these strategies can help you manage stress and stimulate your mind:

• Use relaxation programs or apps regularly to incorporate meditation, yoga, muscle relaxation, or breathing exercises. 
• Practice gratitude by reminding yourself daily of things you are grateful for. Write them down at night or replay them in your mind.
• Participate in creative activities you enjoy.
• Read a book or do a puzzle.
• Play games such as Scrabble, crossword puzzles, or other brain teasers.
• Try a new hobby.
• Engage in exercise.
• Take adult education classes.
• Seek help from a professional as needed.

Relationships

Having healthy relationships is a form of social self-care all its own. Research has shown that different forms of relationships, whether they be romantic, platonic, or familial, can all benefit overall health and well-being.

On the flip side, not having healthy relationships can be detrimental to health. When people lack platonic relationships, they are more likely to be subject to psychological distress and engage in unhealthy behaviors.  

Ways to foster relationships include:

• Regularly scheduling get-togethers (coffee, a walk, a meal, going to the movies, or just hanging out) with friends or family members
• Connecting with community or faith-based groups
• Volunteering for a local organization
• Joining a local group, such as a hiking club, knitting group, or other interest group

Not everyone has a spiritual or religious need. However, for some people nurturing their spirit allows them to connect on a deeper level with themselves and to think beyond themselves.

Spiritual self-care practices might include:

• Hiking or spending time in nature
• Listening to inspirational music
• Going to church or attending virtual spiritual activities or groups
• Talking with a spiritual advisor

Why Is Self-Care Important?

Practicing self-care regularly can bring about both short- and long-term benefits that lead to improved well-being and an improved health status.

In the short term, people who practice self-care can see positive changes such as:

• Reduced stress levels : Putting your health and needs first along with giving yourself a bit of rest can significantly reduce stress levels.
• Increasing self-worth : The more you take care of yourself, the better you will feel about who you are as a person. This is because more of your core needs will be met on a regular basis.
• Feelings of belonging : A short-term benefit of spending time with others will provide feelings of belonging and love, which is good for your overall mental health.

While the short-term benefits of self-care are good, the long-term benefits are what self-care is more focused on. Some long-term benefits include:

• Managing chronic conditions: By practicing physical and mental self-care strategies, conditions such as depression, diabetes, and heart disease can be more effectively managed.
• Disease prevention: Implementing self-care practices, such as regular exercise, healthy eating, and stress management techniques, reduces the risk of heart attack , stroke , and obesity in the future.
• Stress reduction: Stress affects all systems in the body. Chronic stress can lead to chronic health conditions. Practicing self-care that reduces chronic stress can help lower the risk of developing health conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disorders, and more.
• Healthier relationships: When taking better care of our personal needs, we are better able to engage in healthy relationships partially due to increased self-esteem and self-worth.
• Improved job satisfaction: A study of nurses found those who implemented intentional self-care practices had significantly higher job satisfaction. The authors suggest implementing self-care practices could improve job satisfaction and teamwork while reducing burnout.
• Reduced burnout: Authors of a review of multiple studies concluded the solution for burnout is complex, but self-care strategies are one of several components that could be effective.
• Improved quality of life: When self-care practices help to better manage health conditions, reduce stress, or create a greater sense of belonging, overall well-being and quality of life improve.

How to Practice Self-Care

Building your perfect self-care plan will depend on your personal health and lifestyle. To create a plan to encourage better health and well-being:

• Determine your overall level of health: Once you know your starting point health-wise, you can begin adding or subtracting certain activities or stressors in your life to focus on improving your health.
• Identify your stressors: Make a list of things that cause you stress in all aspects of your life. The next step is to do your best to avoid certain stressors. If they are unavoidable, teach yourself coping techniques that can help lessen your stress reaction to certain situations.
• Identify your coping strategies: Everyone develops strategies to cope with health issues, stress, and other life problems. Make a list of your coping strategies and see which ones are healthy and which ones aren’t. The unhealthy ones that don't serve you well can be swapped out for healthier coping mechanisms.

After completing these three steps, you can begin to formulate a plan that you can commit to.

Self-Care Strategies for People With Chronic Disease

If you have a chronic disease, your self-care plan may look a little different than that of someone who does not. This is only because you will have to incorporate certain activities that will benefit you. For example, if you have diabetes , ensure that coping strategies and activities you utilize as self-care help you manage your condition while you follow your treatment plan.

Self-care is the practice of taking care of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your life to promote health and wellness. It is a lifestyle that enables you to set aside time for your health to ensure your overall well-being now and for years to come.

If you do adopt the right techniques to care for yourself, you will be able to reap the benefits, such as better physical and mental health, the prevention or better management of disease, and better personal and workplace relationships.

World Health Organization. What do we mean by self-care?

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Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Wilson SJ. Lovesick: How Couples' Relationships Influence Health. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2017 May 8;13:421-443. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032816-045111

David D, Dalton J, Magny-Normilus C, Brain MM, Linster T, Lee SJ. The Quality of Family Relationships, Diabetes Self-Care, and Health Outcomes in Older Adults. Diabetes Spectr. 2019 May;32(2):132-138. doi:10.2337/ds18-0039

Amati V, Meggiolaro S, Rivellini G, Zaccarin S. Social relations and life satisfaction: the role of friends. Genus. 2018;74(1):7. doi:10.1186/s41118-018-0032-z

Riegel B, Moser DK, Buck HG, et al. American Heart Association Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease; and Council on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research. Self-Care for the Prevention and Management of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke: A Scientific Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association. J Am Heart Assoc. 2017 Aug 31;6(9):e006997. doi:10.1161/JAHA.117.006997

American Psychological Association. Stress effects on the body .

Monroe C, Loresto F, Horton-Deutsch S, et al. The value of intentional self-care practices: The effects of mindfulness on improving job satisfaction, teamwork, and workplace environments . Arch Psychiatr Nurs. 2021 Apr;35(2):189-194. doi: 10.1016/j.apnu.2020.10.003

Adnan NBB, Dafny HA, Baldwin C, Jakimowitz S, et al. What are the solutions for well-being and burn-out for healthcare professionals? An umbrella realist review of learnings of individual-focused interventions for critical care . BMJ Open. 2022 Sep 8;12(9):e060973. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-060973

California State University Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling. How to Create an Individualized Self-Care Plan.

By Angelica Bottaro Bottaro has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and an Advanced Diploma in Journalism. She is based in Canada.

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Self-Care in Nurses

Susan g. williams.

a University of South Alabama College of Nursing, Mobile, AL

Sharon Fruh

Jennifer l. barinas.

b Clinical Counseling Psychology Department, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL

Rebecca J. Graves

The health of nurses impacts the care of patients in healthcare settings today both inside and outside of hospitals. Many papers are written about nurses’ burnout, depression, poor physical and mental health, weight gain, unhealthy eating patterns, back injury, moral negativity, and lack of job satisfaction. However, little attention has been paid to self-care in nurses. The goal of this paper is to discuss the importance of nurses caring for themselves as they work under stressful conditions regularly. Job satisfaction is necessary for nurses to have a healthy work-life balance and a desire to go to work. There are evidence-based interventions that can make a difference in a nurse’s quality of life that can be implemented independently or within the work setting. Suggestions made by researchers include working less than 40 hr/week in a clinical setting, working a consistent time of day without rotations, expressing emotions, taking time to exercise, participating in a support group, and incorporating a place designated as a sanctuary in the clinical setting. Personal ways to improve health include preparing healthy meals before working a shift, getting proper sleep, utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy, participating in mindfulness training, and practicing stress reduction techniques.

Nurses are one of the world’s most valuable resources. The World Health Organization (2020) reports that there are over 20.7 million nurses and midwives across the world. They care for patients in hospitals, clinics, home health agencies, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, schools, and countless other settings ( Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2021 ). It is clear that nurses play a crucial role in providing healthcare services for others, but less attention has been paid to health promotion among nurses. Marking the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth and the Year of the Nurse , it is important to recognize the need to promote health and wellbeing among our nursing professionals ( American Nurses Association, 2021 ). One way to do so is by encouraging the use of evidence-based self-care practices to help nurses manage their health over the course of their careers ( Healthy Nurse – Healthy Nation, 2017 ).

Most nurses view serving patients as their duty and give of themselves endlessly despite how they feel on any given day. All over the world, nurses are prepared to care for patients in clinical environments that are often fast-paced and demanding. The nature of this work puts nurses at risk for physical and mental health problems associated with stress and burnout ( Maharaj, Lees, & Lal, 2019 ; Melnyk, 2020 ). Miller (2011) discusses that burnout in nursing occurs when there is a decrease in job satisfaction and a sense of moral negativity. Burnout may also be associated with negative patient outcomes ( Dall’Ora, Ball, Reinius, & Griffiths, 2020 ). Prior research has described various stressors experienced by nurses including high patient caseloads; workplace incivility; sexual harassment; and exposure to infectious diseases, crises, and death ( Bautista et al., 2020 ; Kahsay, Negarandeh, Dehghan Nayeri, & Hasanpour, 2020 ). One study found that 44% of nurses experienced verbal abuse by colleagues, and an even greater number (62%) reported abuse by patients ( Tucker et al., 2016 ; Tucker, Harris, Pipe, & Stevens, 2010 ).

These stressors have several consequences for the wellbeing of nurses as well as the patients for whom they provide care. A recent systematic review of 22 studies found that occupational fatigue among nurses was consistently associated with mental health concerns, work absences, and worsening work performance ( Cho & Steege, 2021 ). Moreover, in a study involving 3,132 nurses, Tucker, Harris, Pipe, and Stevens (2010) found that stress was a reliable predictor of poorer ratings of personal health and work environment. In this study, over half of the participants had a body mass index in the overweight range, and only half reported engaging in regular physical activity. In a similar study in South Africa, Phiri, Draper, Lambert, and Kolbe-Alexander (2014) found that nurses experienced weight gain, hypertension, and barriers to health-promoting activities. Nurses in this study reported that a stressful working environment and long shifts led to extreme fatigue and that limited time and energy were barriers to preparing healthy meals. The hospital environment was also found to offer primarily unhealthy foods with few healthier alternatives ( Phiri, Draper, Lambert, & Kolbe-Alexander, 2014 ). Vending machines are often the only convenient choice for a nurse who is working the night shift at a hospital, and they are known to offer options that are less nutritious. One recent study showed that at hospitals, half of beverages offered in vending machines contained greater than 55g of sugar per serving. Moreover, approximately one-third of foods in these vending machines consisted of candy, while the rest were chips and other sweets ( Champ, Iarrobino, & Haskins, 2019 ).

It is no secret that these problems exist and yet, teaching, encouraging, and normalizing self-care practices among nurses has remained uncommon ( Phiri, Draper, Lambert, & Kolbe-Alexander, 2014 ). Despite these challenges, many nurses aspire to be healthy role models for their patients, families, and communities. Self-care practices, which consist of behaviors that promote and maintain physical and psychological wellbeing, may be key to helping nurses develop self-efficacy and manage their health despite the stressors and obstacles they face ( Melnyk, 2020 ). The purpose of this paper is to discuss how nurses can be empowered to create their own self-care path and encourage other nurses to follow while continuing to work in the challenging yet rewarding field of nursing. Practical and realistic ideas and strategies will be provided as to how to engage in routine healthy self-care behaviors.

Work environment

Researchers recognize that the daily activities of a nurse and the work environment can have an impact on job satisfaction and turnover. Creating a workplace that is supportive to front-line workers and adequate managerial support may be key to promoting job satisfaction as well as quality patient care ( O’Brien-Pallas, Murphy, Shamian, Li, & Hayes, 2010 ). A study of 778 nurses from seven different hospitals in Beijing, China examined work environment, job characteristics, work engagement, and turnover. Results indicated that working in a positive environment was associated with decreased turnover and increased work engagement ( Wan, Li, Zhou, & Shang, 2018 ). Similarly, Lake et al. (2021) reviewed survey data related to safety in 177 hospitals in the United States. These researchers examined safety in pediatric care in general hospitals as well as hospitals that only care for children and not adults; more than half of the pediatric nurse participants (N = 1,875) rated patient safety as less than excellent. Furthermore, 46% of participants felt that mistakes were held against them by administration, and many did not feel safe asking questions related to safety issues. This again emphasizes that hospitals with a safe clinical environment foster satisfaction in nurses ( Lake et al., 2021 ).

Emotional stability is another factor that influences resilience versus burnout. Emotional labor is the act of regulating feelings and expressions while working ( Grandey, 2003 ). In a South Korean study, researchers surveyed 303 nurses from 27 different hospitals. They examined surface acting (regulating and suppressing emotions), deep acting (changing internal feelings to comply with organizational expectations), and expressing naturally felt emotions (genuine emotional expression). These researchers found that nurses who express naturally felt emotions experience lower levels of burnout. Encouraging nurses to express emotions when they are experienced may ultimately improve turnover rate and decrease stress for nurses ( Kim, 2020 ).

Workplace wellness has recently emerged as a focus in nursing research ( Lowensteyn et al., 2019 ; Melnyk, 2020 ; Melnyk et al., 2018 ). One such Canadian study included a web-based wellness intervention for 775 employees of a pharmaceutical company to improve/increase exercise, mental health, nutrition, and weight using gamification methods ( Lowensteyn et al., 2019 ). The first goal was to insure employee participation, and the second goal was to sustain physical and mental health improvement. Two years after beginning of the study, participants demonstrated decreased blood pressure, total cholesterol, insomnia, fatigue, glycated hemoglobin, cardiovascular problems, and perception of stress and increased physical activity. Additionally, employees who had higher health risks received the highest benefits from this program ( Lowensteyn et al., 2019 ).

When trying to promote a positive workplace, Miller (2011) suggested mentoring and team building programs as well as reflection on shared values to positively impact nursing job satisfaction and retention. This can occur via a support group in the hospital providing a forum for nurses and other healthcare professionals to discuss challenges and positive situations they experience at work. A free tool kit called The GoodWork Toolkit ( https://pz.harvard.edu/resources/the-good-work-toolkit ) (was designed by Harvard University and provides discussion questions and scenarios to facilitate discussion about difficult ethical and moral situations (Garner et al., 2001). This may be a place to begin work-related discussions in nursing.

Physical health

Many nurses may suffer poor physical health while caring for their patients, which may be influenced by the activities completed in a typical workday. For instance, a study of 224 nurses from 9 different departments in a hospital found that nurses who worked in areas where manual lifting was involved had a 53% higher prevalence of reporting lower back pain. Nurses who worked in surgery also had a higher prevalence of low back pain ( Almaghrabi & Alsharif, 2021 ). Although it is important to recognize that nurses are needed around the clock, researchers found that working rotating shifts may cause problems with job satisfaction. Ferri et al. (2016) found that nurses working rotating shifts (N = 213) had the lowest scores for quality and quantity of sleep, chronic fatigue, and cardiovascular symptoms compared to nurses who worked only during day shift ( Ferri et al., 2016 ). Finding ways to improve the quality of life and minimizing the rotation of shifts may be an additional way to help increase positive work-life balance of valuable nurses ( Chang & Peng, 2021 ; Lee & Jang, 2020 ).

Mental health

In almost any clinical setting, nurses will experience stress. Many nurses report personal distress, which, unfortunately, tends to be the responsibility of the nurse to manage without employer support. Providing focused interventions related to decreasing stress while in the work setting may be another key to keeping nurses on the job ( Cottrell, 2001 ). In a study of nurses working in five different hospitals in Tehran, researchers found that spreading a culture of humor may provide positivity to the lives of health professionals. Spreading humor can be taught and could possibly improve the workplace atmosphere ( Ghaffari, Dehghan-Nayeri, & Shali, 2015 ). Another area that has had a positive impact on nurses’ stress is a concept called the Lavender Lounge or “Code Lavender,” which first appeared at the Cleveland Clinic Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio in 2018. A Lavender Lounge was designed as a place for respite during an unusually difficult time when a healthcare provider feels overwhelmed with a situation, such as a death of a patient, to recoup for a short period of time before returning to their stressful environment or situation. This lounge may include a comfortable chair or recliner, electronics’ charging stations, a massage chair, relaxing music, a beanbag chair, coloring books, and even sports equipment such as an indoor basketball hoop. The room is often painted a lavender color and frequently has scented oils (e.g., lavender) to promote relaxation ( Gregory, 2021 ; Johnson, 2014 – Cleveland Clinic; Stone, 2018 ; You Tube, 2021 ).

Nurses also have spiritual and emotional ties that often provide them with a feeling of purpose in life and a foundation to cope during challenging situations. In addition, nurses need to feel that their co-workers accept them and that they are understood ( Crane & Ward, 2016 ; Kim & Shin, 2020 ). In a study related to nurses’ attitudes about death and how it affects spirituality and spiritual care, Ausar, Lekhak, and Candela (2021) conducted a scoping review of 10 studies related to nursing and self-care. Findings indicated that there was very little information about spiritual care in nurses and how they use spirituality to improve their quality of life. Many of the articles were about spiritual care for patients. The spiritual self-care definitions focused on a nurse’s relationship with self and having a transcendent connection with issues beyond self. Furthermore, the review suggested that nurses picture themselves as spiritual individuals and reflect on their continuous journey to increase their spiritual awareness and ability to care for others.

Work-life balance

In nursing, finding the most effective work-life balance is a difficult task. Unsurprisingly, nurses who work full-time (30–40 hr/week) or part-time (≤34 hr/week) in a clinical setting experience more job satisfaction than those who work overtime ( Dall’Ora, Ball, Reinius, & Griffiths, 2020 ). Realistically, however, in hospital settings, many nurses work voluntary or mandated overtime to help meet staffing and patient care needs ( Stimpfel, Fletcher, & Kovner, 2019 ). These challenges have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic ( Arnetz, Goetz, Arnetz, & Arble, 2020 ). During this time of unprecedented staffing issues, personal responsibilities, such as children, elderly parents, and household chores, are also important to consider in relation to work-life balance ( Chunta, 2020 ). After accounting for work and personal demands, very little time is left for self-care practices, such as exercising, meditation, or even obtaining a full-nights rest, which in turn can lead to significant impairments ( Tierney, 2021 ).

Varma, Kelling, and Goswami (2016) recognized that nurses are a critical component of healthcare. These researchers developed an instrument, the Work-Life Scale, to assess work-life balance across four domains. The first scale focuses on job-related stressors including patient care, workload, equipment, safety, job security, and the perceived value of the employee in their clinical setting. The second domain focuses on the organizational culture, and assesses level of autonomy, the regularity of scheduling patterns, and whether there is required overtime. Support structure was the third component and assesses support from family, coworkers, and the supervisor of the employee. Finally, the fourth domain assesses training such as stress reduction, coping skills, work environment training, and professional growth. Utilizing the Work-Life Scale may help nurses to identify areas of strength and areas to improve regarding work-life balance to facilitate their functioning both personally and as a practicing professional nurse ( Varma, Kelling, & Goswami, 2016 ).

Radiological nurses

Nurses who work in the radiology department have some of the same stressors as nurses working in the intensive care unit, operating room, or on a medical-surgical floor in the hospital setting. However, there are unique stressors and concerns that radiological nurses may face. Laukhuf and Laukhuf (2016) identified stressors unique to radiological nurses including increased exposure to radiation and risk of back injuries from frequently moving of patients. They also found that radiological nurses report stress related to needing to continually monitor patients and maintain accuracy during procedures, while complying with strict regulations and managing difficult interactions with family members, coworkers, or other hospital professionals. Radiological nurses often must work mandatory overtime due to the specialty nature of their qualifications and the need for emergency interventions. As a result, nurses in this specialty may be more likely to have irregular work schedules and have difficulty with work-life balance ( Laukhuf & Laukhuf, 2016 ).

Waddil-Goad (2019) discusses the importance of radiologic nurses prioritizing self-care, particularly as mid-life approaches. Maintaining a balance of work, family, self, and enjoyment in life must occur to combat stress, fatigue, and burnout. Speaking up for your needs and continuing to maintain your ability to work in a safe, healthy environment are paramount for radiology nurses in our healthcare systems ( Waddill-Goad, 2019 ). Other suggestions for preventing burnout and increasing self-care during this unprecedented time of COVID-19 are provided by Janeway et al., (2020) including a consultation with a psychiatry liaison who can provide a stress management program, a mindfulness stress reduction technique, and meditation app recommendations.

Promoting self-care among nurses

Practicing self-care as a nurse is not a new concept, but this behavior is often overlooked by nurses in a busy day working in a fast-paced environment. Blum (2014) discusses the importance of self-care with reminders that we must compensate with personal, social, physical, psychological, and mental care either before or after working. If we neglect this crucial advice, we may also become a patient in need of specialized care ( Blum, 2014 ).

Mindfulness Strategies

Mindfulness is one of the most well-researched self-care strategies used to promote the wellbeing of nurses ( Melnyk, 2020 ). Mindfulness refers to a set of practices that increase awareness by intentionally attending to and nonjudgmentally observing the present moment ( Kabat-Zinn, 2003 ). Among nurses, mindfulness has been shown to significantly improve regulation of emotions in stressful situations; reduce anxiety and depression; improve communication; and increase empathy ( Guillaumie, Boiral, & Champagne, 2016 ). Thus, mindfulness-based approaches have the potential to improve the wellbeing and work performance of nurses. Most of the mindfulness programs designed for nurses have used Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction ( Kabat-Zinn, 2003 ), but others have focused on individual mindfulness exercises introduced via workshops ( Guillaumie, Boiral, & Champagne, 2016 ). Examples of mindfulness exercises include formal exercises such as deep breathing, body scans, guided imagery, or meditations and informal exercises such as mindful walks/meditation or yoga ( Bernstein, 2019 ). Mindfulness can be a practical approach for nurses, given that many of these exercises can take as little as 5 min and can be practiced virtually anywhere, especially with the use of mindfulness books (e.g., The Mindful Nurse: Using the Power of Mindfulness and Compassion to Help You Thrive in Your Work by [ Sheridan, 2016 ]; A Mindfulness - Based Stress Reduction Workbook by [ Stahl & Goldstein, 2019 ]), phone applications (e.g., Headspace, Breathe2Relax), and online resources ( http://depts.washington.edu/bmindful/meditations/ ).

Cognitive-Behavioral Strategies

Cognitive-behavioral strategies are also strongly supported by prior research and have often been coupled with mindfulness approaches ( Guillaumie, Boiral, & Champagne, 2016 ; Lan et al., 2014 ). They have been shown to be effective in improving various conditions including depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia, and health-related behaviors including physical activity, diet, and smoking, while increasing resilience ( Luberto, Magidson, & Blashill, 2017 ; Spears et al., 2017 ; Yüksel & Yılmaz, 2020 ). Among nurses, cognitive-behavioral interventions have been shown to effectively reduce stress and anxiety, while improving self-efficacy, healthy lifestyle behaviors, and job satisfaction ( Sampson, Melnyk, & Hoying, 2020 ; Terp, Bisholt, & Hjärthag, 2019 ; Orly, Rivka, Rivka, & Dorit, 2012 ; Weiner et al., 2020 ).

Cognitive behavioral therapy centers on the idea that thoughts, behaviors, and emotions are interrelated; therefore, by changing your behavior or how you approach your thoughts, you can improve how you feel ( Leddy, Anderson, & Schulkin, 2013 ). These skills include identifying unhelpful thoughts such as negative forecasting about the future and behaviors such as avoidance and isolation while learning to develop more adaptive ways of thinking and behaving ( Yovel, Mor, & Shakarov, 2014 ). This may include reflecting on thoughts by checking for assumptions, taking an alternate perspective, and recognizing the positives. Behavioral strategies can include goal setting, problem-solving, and behavioral activation (increasing enjoyable, valued, and goal-oriented activities) ( Hughes et al., 2020 ; Huguet et al., 2018 ). For nurses, this may look like setting realistic, attainable goals for physical activity; addressing work-related stressors; and improving work-life balance by protecting time with family and friends. Cognitive behavioral interventions for nurses are often delivered via in-person workshops, and studies support that this often improves understanding and engagement ( Strauss et al., 2021 ). Still, there are several accessible and practical resources for learning these self-care strategies independently, including books or work-books— Inner Spark: Finding Calm in a Stressful World ( Vikjord, 2020 ), The Art of Mindfulness ( Farrarons, 2018 ), Ten to zen: Ten minutes a day to a calmer, happier you ( O’Kane, 2018 ), Stress less - accomplish more ( Fletcher, 2019 : Audio book), What happened to you? Conversations on trauma, resilience, and healing ( Perry & Winfrey, 2021 : Audio book)—phone applications (e.g., Thought Challenger), and online programs (MoodGYM, StressGYM) ( Pospos et al., 2018 ).

Physical Activity and Nutrition Strategies

Nurses frequently struggle with getting appropriate nutrition and exercise when working 12-hr shifts in most hospital settings. In a qualitative study with 24 new registered nurses, Brogan, Rossiter, Duffield, and Denny-Wilson (2021) examined healthy eating and physical activity, identifying four barriers: time, shift work, work environment, and work culture. Although participants had high interest in a healthy work environment, these nurses discussed that unhealthy snacking related to lack of time to eat healthy food, lack of energy, and reduced motivation played a big role in these poor habits. Suggestions for better nutrition included being aware of the amount of sugar, fat, and carbohydrates in food consumed in a typical day at work ( Crane & Ward, 2016 ). Often nurses who take the time to “meal prep” their breakfast, lunch, and dinner on days that they are off so that they will have healthy food on the days that they are working consumed much healthier nutrition that can be heated or refrigerated easily at the workplace compared to getting “fast food” in the typical hospital cafeteria ( Nicholls, Perry, Duffield, Gallagher, & Pierce, 2017 ).

Sleep Hygiene

Regularly sleeping an average of 6 to 8 hr per night (or day, depending on the nurse’s work schedule) benefits overall well-being, cognitive function, control of hormones, appetite, memory, the immune system, short- and long-term memory, as well as stress reduction ( Perkins, 2021 ). Eanes (2015) defined insufficient sleep and sleep debt as occurring when a person sleeps less than 7 to 8 hr over multiple days. This sleep loss may not only impair memory, learning ability, performance, and judgment, but it has also been linked to motor vehicular injuries, weight gain and obesity, and musculoskeletal injuries. Furthermore, Eanes (2015) suggests only scheduling nurses for a maximum of three consecutive workdays consisting of 12-hr shifts, and if possible, encouraging nurses to take a short break or nap away from the work area during a shift to refresh.

At home, standard sleep hygiene is recommended, including maintaining a regular sleep schedule (as much as possible) and sleeping in a dark, quiet, and cool space. An important aspect of sleep hygiene is practicing stimulus control and reducing sleep-interfering arousal. For instance, it is best to avoid eating heavily before bedtime, using a cell phone or computer close to bedtime, and sleeping with the television on. In addition, avoiding caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and other stimulating activities before going to bed can lead to better sleep patterns (Eanes et al., 2020). Perkins (2021) reminds us that spending time in the sun and keeping naps to a maximum of 20 to 30 min can help maintain a regular circadian rhythm. For nurses experiencing difficulties falling asleep, practicing relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, or progressive relaxation, may be beneficial. If insomnia is a persistent concern or if additional support is needed, it may be helpful to consider seeking cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) ( Sleep Foundation.org ).

COVID-19 and self-care

Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was identified in December 2019, there have been over 241,411,380 million cases worldwide, with over 4,912,111 million deaths as of October 15, 2021 ( World Health Organization [WHO], 2021 ). In the United States, there have been 44,771,558 million cases of COVID-19 and 722,690 million deaths as of October 15, 2021 ( World Health Organization, 2021 ). Although these statistics are alarming, nurses working on the front line in hospitals, urgent care centers, ambulatory care settings, outpatient surgery centers, and many other public settings must continue to work ( Foli, Forster, Cheng, Zhang, & Chiu, 2021 ). Labrague and de los Santos (2020) examined the fear of COVID-19 by nurses and how this affects psychological distress, satisfaction with work, and the intent to leave the work-place. These researchers found that in 261 nurses working on the front lines of health care, the fear of COVID-19 was related to more psychological distress, decreased job satisfaction, and increased turnover ( Labrague & de los Santos, 2020 ).

In 2020, nurses had to care for patients in the hospital without family members by their sides, and often the patients died alone. Other issues in the current COVID-19 pandemic have been a lack of personal protection supplies, short staffing, and frequent changes in protocols. A nurse caring for a patient and facing this psychological distress, time restraints, and limited equipment and support during a crisis frequently experiences ethical conflict and moral injury ( Foli et al., 2021 ; Hossain & Clatty, 2021 ).

Employing tools to decrease stress may be vital for coping during this crucial time in our history. Monteverde (2014) discusses that individuals with moral resilience are empowered to address complex, distressing, and uncomfortable situations. It is essential to recognize that some situations are beyond a nurse’s control, and the inability to improve that situation is not a personal weakness (Cacchione, 2021). Further suggested by Cacchione (2021) is for nurses to remember that they must first take care of themselves to care for others and be present to those they love. It is essential to know your limits and to reach out for help when needed. Trying to do something that brings you joy at least once per day and practicing 5 min of meditation can also ease some of the hour-by-hour stress nurses are facing daily. Self-care can lead to a better understanding of yourself, a better quality of life, and a chance to grow in personal enhancement ( Nelson, Hall, Anderson, Birtles, & Hemming, 2018 ). Self-care goes hand in hand with self-compassion, which can be implemented by being kind to ourselves and treating ourselves as we would treat a friend by providing comfort and resisting harshness. It is wise to acknowledge that we are hurting without judging ourselves. It is self-affirming to recognize that we are human and make mistakes ( Nelson, Hall, Anderson, Birtles, & Hemming, 2018 ).

Radiology nurses are facing difficulties maintaining a balance in self-care along with most nurses especially during this unprecedented time of stress in hospital inpatient, outpatient surgery clinics, physician offices, and urgent care settings. The information presented reviews how self-care practices can help promote the health and wellbeing of nurses. It highlights various sources of stress and the importance of addressing multiple aspects of functioning, including the work environment, physical health, mental health, work-life balance, and spiritual wellbeing. The techniques presented are evidence-based and emphasize practical strategies to help nurses incorporate self-care into their lives. It is important that fellow nurses, managers, hospital administrators, and others empower nurses to invest in their self-care just as much as they invest in taking care of their patients. Suggestions provided included developing workplace interventions such as cognitive behavioral and mindfulness workshops, promoting self-care mobile phone apps, as well as creating a safe space for respite (a Lavender Lounge) specifically for departments that tend to experience more potentially emotionally taxing or stressful situations (e.g., the intensive care unit, COVID-19 floors, etc.). When nurses practice self-care and have sufficient personal and systemic support, the results are healthier, happier, and longer lasting futures in the field of nursing.

University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for Clinical and Translational Science - UL1TR003096.

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Susan G. Williams: Conceptualization, Writing – original draft, Visualization, Investigation, Writing – review & editing. Sharon Fruh: Conceptualization, Writing – original draft, Visualization, Investigation, Writing – review & editing, Funding acquisition, Supervision. Jennifer L. Barinas: Writing – original draft, Investigation, Writing – review & editing. Rebecca J. Graves: Writing – original draft, Investigation, Writing – review & editing.

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Self Care essays

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The self care problem is the cornerstone of patient recovery statistics based on self responsibility for patients’ health and treatment outcomes. The number of details needed to consider in each particular case leads to the fact that the subject requires a lot of research, data analysis, and conclusions based on the necessity for educating patients about their part of self responsibility in the treatment results. At the same time, educating patients is one of the primary nurses’ responsibilities, so assigning self care essays is among the common medical studies homework and even paperwork you may face during the job.

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Self-Care: Physical and Mental Health Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Improving the quality of life and improving their self-management skills.

There is no doubt that self-care remains one of the most important notions connected to the spheres of social work and healthcare. Speaking about self-care, it is necessary to say that the notion includes anything related to physical and mental health that can be controlled by the person. Therefore, the significance of self-care cannot be overstated as it can be called a basis of health condition. Realizing the importance of such activity, many specialists extend their knowledge on the principles of self-care to be ready to consult their clients effectively. Thus, it is necessary to discuss certain attributes of the self-care that can be called the most important to success in the counseling relationships.

To begin with, promoting self-care and giving an advisory opinion concerning it, the specialist has to attract the clients’ attention to the fact that they are unable to achieve a better quality of life without improving their skills at self-management (Pulvirenti, McMillan, & Lawn, 2014). Also, there is a variety of approaches that can be used to improve self-care, and it is essential to introduce the client to all of them. The approaches include the use of different regular exercise programs, diets, the proper and regular use of medicinal drugs or folk remedies, and stopping bad habits. In this connection, it is also necessary to remember that self-care should be performed based on the specific situation of the client, and the specialist needs to know everything that should be taken into consideration during counseling.

As for the concept of supervision and mentoring connected to personal theory development, I suppose that this question seems to be easier than it is. On the one hand, mentoring remains an extremely important measure applied in different spheres as it allows one to encourage people to do necessary things that they would prefer to ignore (Knott & Scragg, 2016, p. 40). On the other hand, some clients would like to feel that they are not urged to do something and the intention to yield advice is their own decision. Nevertheless, it often happens that people lack knowledge of the concepts of self-care and the particular diseases and disorders that they suffer from; in such cases, self-medication about the specialist’s advice is not enough for success. Instead, due to people’s lack of specific education, mentoring needs to be regarded as a necessary step in any work connected to mental and physical health. Developing the personal theory, it is necessary to consider the importance of supervision that cannot be substituted by another practice because many people are just unable to do necessary things regularly if nobody controls them. In such a way, their problems may become even more serious and it means that supervision is critical for success in the majority of cases.

Also, it is necessary to discuss the specific personal qualities that help people to develop their therapeutic-selves. The latter involves people’s ability to define and take measures that will help them to mitigate or even estrange the negative consequences of their problem. To begin with, such development is almost impossible if the person lacks self-confidence. I am sure that this quality is critical because its absence encourages the person to see no opportunities to address the issue. Besides, it is important to develop self-control because an ability to help yourself is closely connected to making yourself do the things that are necessary and avoiding doing the things that seem to be more attractive but may deteriorate the situation.

Knott, C., & Scragg, T. (2016). Reflective practice in social work . London, UK: Learning Matters.

Pulvirenti, M., McMillan, J., & Lawn, S. (2014). Empowerment, patient-centred care and self-management. Health Expectations , 17 (3), 303-310.

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Self-Care: Physical and Mental Health." November 2, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/self-care-physical-and-mental-health/.