SELF-CARE FOR

THE NURSE AS A
CAREGIVER

ANITA PADDY
THERAPY AND WELLNESS DEPARTMENT
37 MILITARY HOSPITAL
 SCOPE
• INTRODUCTION
• HEALTHCARE WORKERS’ NEEDS
• SELF-CARE
• SELF-CARE AND MENTAL WELL-BEING
• PRACTICISING SELF-CARE
• TAKE HOME
 INTRODUCTION
• Any kind of work is stressful, but work related to caring for other people’s needs worsens
our stress
• Care jobs, especially healthcare professionals, are at an increased risk of burnout
• Exposure to various stressors increase our individual distress e.g., overidentification,
vicarious trauma, helping people make life decisions, (adherence), feeling inadequate,
systemic bottlenecks etc.
• Care for self as for clients
• Additional burden of being burdened by the client's burden
• Like all other persons, nurses are not immune to physical, mental and social ill-health
• Do we have fewer concerns/challenges than our clients?
• How do you take care of yourself to be able to care for others?
 HEALTHCARE WORKERS’ (HCW) NEEDS
• The needs of HCW are as everyone and more related to the type of work
• PHYSICAL NEEDS
• Good physical health (ability to stand, sit, carry, bend, kneel, stretch, push/pull, lift etc)
• PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS
• Cognitive: intellectual ability
• Continuous information flow (increased knowledge, CPDs)
• Emotional: emotional intelligence
• SOPs/routine management protocols
• Self-care
• Behavioural: effective communication
• Team spirit
 HCW NEEDS cont’d

• Social needs
• Maintain healthy and proper relationships
• Effective communication
• Safety and security

• Work-related needs
• Work-home boundaries and balance
• Work overload
• Limited sleep
• Time for a healthy lifestyle
 SELF-CARE
• The practice of taking an active role in protecting one's well-being and happiness,
especially during stressful periods, deliberate acts to take care of our mental, emotional,
and physical well-being
• It includes activities individuals, families, and communities undertake to enhance health,
prevent disease, limit illness, and restore health (WHO, 2013).
• It must be enjoyable and refueling
• Not everyone crumbles under stress - most are resilient and survive even in extremely
stressful conditions unscathed (Taylor, 2017).
• It is a key to a balanced life
 SELF-CARE AND MENTAL WELL-BEING
• Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his/her abilities, can
cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and can contribute to his/her
community (WHO, 2004).

• Included areas of need are:

• Ability to cope with everyday life
• Good self-worth and esteem
• Ability to recognize and deal with positive and negative emotions
• Pursue meaningful life goals
• Live independently
• Quality relationships
 SELF-CARE AND MENTAL WELL-BEING
• Introspect to determine areas of care needs:
• Feelings
• Thoughts
• Behaviours
• Interpersonal relations
• Functionality
• Practitioner burn-out
• Chronic fatigue
• Irritability/ anger/ self-criticism/ increased errors
 PRACTISING SELF-CARE
• Self-care is individualized
• Know yourself (3 key rules)
• Stick to the basics: know your rhythm and routine to help you identify what
works for you
• Actively plan your self-care: choose to add to your calendar to increase self-care
activities
• Keep a conscious mind: Be aware of what you do, why you do, and be aware of
the outcomes
 PRACTISING SELF-CARE cont’d
• Physical care
• Have a routine
• Plan and prioritize: work & personal
• Delegate
• Manage your time
• Scheduling of days work/activities
• Grooming
• Psychological care
• Allow yourself the expression of your emotions
• Check in with yourself: self-reflection and introspection
• Limit negative information and people in your life
 PRACTISING SELF-CARE cont’d
• Learn: keep learning something new
• Assert & Learn to say “NO”
• Work at being emotionally intelligent
• Humour
• Be optimistic: see the world in a positive light/ positive self-talk/ motivation
• Cut yourself some slack
• Accepting change as a creative challenge
• Recognize and accept your limits, but don’t be limited
• Look out for signs of stress and act
• Avoid negative outlets for tension
• Problem-solving vrs emotion-centered approach
 PRACTISING SELF-CARE cont’d
• Social care
• prioritize relationships
• Build a good social support network
• Join/form interest groups
• Strengthen intimate relationships
• Learn to accept help
• Spiritual relationships
• Life’s purpose
• A lifestyle aligning with your beliefs, values
• Authenticity
• Connectedness with your world
 TAKE HOME
• SELF-CARE IS SELF-LOVE
• WHOLE HEALTH BEGINS WITH MENTAL HEALTH
THANK YOU