Nurses need care too! Here’s why self-care is important for long-term care nurses and how management can help them keep on top of it.
Long-term care nurses have a comprehensive job! While regular nurses see people in and out of their care all the time, long-term care nurses have a slightly different experience.
They’re dealing with patients who require long-term care. This means they’re likely to care for the same patients for a much longer time, which naturally leads to forming relationships with patients over time.
And of course, because death is a natural part of the job, long-term nurses often lose people who they’ve developed close bonds with—seniors or young people—which takes a huge toll over time.
There’s also an element of education, in which the nurse provides information and answers questions, for both the patient and their family. And of course, because there’s a bond between nurse and patient, nurses provide emotional support.
With that amount of responsibility and emotional involvement, it’s no wonder self-care is important for long-term nurses. Here’s why it’s so important for nurses to take time to look after themselves.
Helps to Prevent Burnout
Burnout doesn’t just happen to business people who crunch numbers all day! Long hours and emotional involvement can take its toll, and burnout can come quickly without even realizing it.
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion. It’s often caused by prolonged stress, and prolonged stress can come as a result of taking care of everyone else… But forgetting to take care of yourself.
If not taken care of immediately, burnout can lead to reduced performance, negativity, a lack of enjoyment for life, and depression.
By nurses actively participating in self-care, they can recharge their batteries, calm their minds, renew their optimism, and stay mentally and emotionally sound.
Reduces The Chances of Mistakes
Neglecting self-care can lead to nurses simply “going through the motions”, with little thought for what they’re doing.
Many daily actions—such as administering medication, answering questions, and providing care for patients—become a habit, but it’s easy to start making mistakes when your head isn’t in the game.
In a nursing home, you can’t afford to make mistakes. In healthcare, mistakes can be life-threatening.
So it’s not only in your nurses’ best interests to ensure they keep up with their self-care, but it’s in the patients’ best interests too.
Helps Nurses To Care For Others
While many people neglect their own care and pour all of their care into others, looking after yourself first (in certain ways) can help you to give others better care.
It’s difficult to provide excellent care for others when you aren’t feeling your best. Whether you’re feeling physically exhausted, mentally rough, or emotionally raw, when you’re not 100% it becomes infinitely harder to show patience and consideration to others.
Taking care of their own needs is imperative in order for long-term care nurses to be at the top of their game. And when they’re at the top of their game, their patients are better off for it.
What Is Self-Care?
Self-care is defined as any action we take to improve our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. The thing with self-care is that it’s just as it sounds – nobody can take these actions for you.
Interestingly, the American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethics makes mention of self-care, stating that the care nurses give to others “extends to oneself as well: the same duties that we owe to others we owe to ourselves.”
Whether it’s meditation, exercise, participating in a hobby, playing a sport, indulging in a pampering session, or simply taking a nap, everyone needs to take a step away from the rigors of life sometime and focus on what feels good to them.
Ways to Help Your Nurses With Self-Care
So how do you, as management, help your nurses with self-care? While we’ve mentioned that nobody can do self-care for you, one of the most prominent reasons for nurses struggling with it is the combination of long hours and lack of energy when not at work.
Making self-care more accessible at work is an excellent way to promote the good health of your nurses and show them that their health matters.
Consider:
- Replacing cafeteria food and vending machine items with healthy options
- Providing each nurse with a gym membership OR placing exercise machines in a room or space at work
- Encouraging and accepting different religious practices at work
- Doing a meditation workshop and creating a tranquil space at work where nurses can go to calm down
- Implementing a “personal care day” where nurses have a day of paid leave
- Providing self-help material around the office, such as books or affirmations
- Checking in with your nurses regularly to see how they’re doing and ask for feedback
Conclusion
Self-care is important for long-term nurses for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, nurses need as much care as anyone else, if not more due to the nature of their work.
But secondly, patients’ lives also depend on them, and if they’re not okay, the ripple effects can be extremely far-reaching.
It can be easy to forget that our long-term care nurses may need a break! They’re there, they’re helping, and they’re making a difference in the lives of others every day.
Most of them will do it with a smile on their face and a kind outstretched hand to those who need help.
But keep in mind that behind that cheery demeanor lies a human who sees things that others don’t, who experiences life and death on a daily basis, and on whose shoulders rests a huge amount of responsibility.
What actions can you as management take to make the lives of your long-term care nurses easier? How can you show them that they’re appreciated and help them to take better care of themselves?
Sometimes, you need to be the driving force behind encouraging self-care. Implementing a self-care program in your long-term care home could be one of the best things you ever do… For both your nurses and your patients.
About the Author
Jordan Fuller is a writer, businessman, and advocate for self-care. He’s actively practicing self-care and self-improvement when he’s not spending time in nature, on the golf course, or writing for his website, Golf Influence.
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