Being a professional nurse is an often physically and psychologically demanding job. Nurses have the humbling honor of being with patients and their families in times of crisis such as when they are diagnosed with incurable illness, and with their families when people are dying. We are also with patients during times of joy, like the birth of a baby, and finding out that a cancer diagnosis is now in remission. The nature of our workplaces can also add to the demands of our jobs, where we work in programs that might be short staffed, colleagues may be falling ill, the unpredictable is encountered day in and day out, and so on. The pressure to give and give may begin to feel like a never-ending grind with few moments to think about ourselves and our own wellness. But, in order to stay healthy for patients, our profession, our communities and ourselves, nurses must be able to engage in self-care. Of course, self care is something that is sometimes easier said than done. Self-care comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. It can be a warm bath and a day of rest, but it can also be collaborative activism.
In this month’s episode of The Shift Change Claire and Michelle are discussing self-care, what is it, how do we do it, and how can we recognize that we are or are not doing it?
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