Goals of Self Care:

ASPIRE TO BE PRESENT
REFRAIN FROM DOING HARM
Compassion Satisfaction
Compassion satisfaction (CS) is about meaning and purpose in a life’s
work that involves helping.
Satisfaction comes from experiencing positive aspects of helping.
However, negative aspects occur too.
Negative aspects of helping are known as compassion* fatigue (CF).
People in helping professions tend to focus on their “desire to
alleviate suffering” and neglect what it means “to suffer with”.
What we have learned…
Knowledge that this work has unavoidable consequences and a
cumulative impact on people has grown significantly over the past
10 years.
Because of this, there is a movement among helping professionals,
including nurses, to value self-care and increase our awareness of
how we are taking care of ourselves.
By caring for ourselves, we can be in an optimal physical, mental,
and spiritual state to care for others.
Most suffering in the world…
is a direct result of systematic oppression.
Service professions, like nursing, are witness to
suffering.
Vicarious Trauma/Compassion Fatigue
Other terms also used; no single term agreed upon
(e.g. secondary trauma, secondary stress)
Term(s) describes the phenomenon generally associated with the
“cost of caring” for others (Figley, 1982).
Exposure = impact (pre-traumatic stress disorder)
Emotional residue of exposure
The work you do…
the opportunity to serve people at their most
vulnerable is an honor and privilege
As a nurse, you are powerful.
Every interaction with another human being has the
power to heal or harm.
 As a nurse…

you must be present, or at the very least,

refrain from doing harm.
To refrain from doing harm, we must care for
ourselves and each other.
How
do you create an abiding capacity to be present?
 Self Care

Metabolize exposures and avoid accumulating exposures.

Tend to nervous system.
◦ Increase heart rate and break a sweat
Practice gratitude / find meaning
Sleep
Self Care
Make intentional, discerning choices about consuming media
◦ news, screen, social
◦ media increases cumulative exposure to trauma
Bolster personal life outside of work
Nurture relationships with kindness
Self Care
Check in with yourself.
◦ “Can I do this?’ Am I present?
◦ Can I refrain from causing harm?
Develop a Plan B
◦ What else do you want to do? What else can you do?
◦ By having options, you can choose to do this work.
Self Care
Who do you spend time with?
◦ Ask yourself if your relationships are nourishing?
Humor
Self Care Assignment
Take care of yourself across this term.
◦ Select a self care activity of choice.
◦ Develop measurable outcomes for the activity.
◦ Share your self care activity with a friend in class.
◦ Friends check-in on each other to reinforce self care.
◦ We’ll check-in on each other as a class too.
“Take time to do what makes your soul happy.”
– Unknown