Why is self-care important for nurses? Self-care for nurses helps prevent burnout and compassion fatigue while promoting health and quality of life. Some effective nursing self-care strategies include taking time to connect with friends, prioritizing sleep, engaging in short yet high-intensity workouts and eating healthy meals.
Nurses make it their life’s work to help others heal and enjoy better health and quality of life. Nursing is a highly meaningful yet challenging line of work that often demands long shifts and presents new problems to solve every day. Because of the intense nature of a typical nursing career, self-care for nurses is critical.
Self-care activities are any intentional actions to promote physical, mental and emotional wellness. They can address existing health problems or be proactive to reduce the risk of future issues.
Nurses and self-care go hand in hand. The Averett University School of Nursing recognizes the importance of self-care and strives to holistically support students through their academic journeys. Students in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program gain both the technical and self-care skills needed to thrive in their careers and deliver high-quality patient care.
While everyone can benefit from taking time to care for their wellness, it’s vital for nurses. Why is self-care important for nurses? Let’s take a closer look.
Why Is Self-Care Important for Nurses?
Nurses give their time, energy, skills and knowledge to help others in need. They work long shifts on their feet, often managing large patient caseloads and juggling multiple tasks at once. So, why is self-care important for nurses?
Without taking the time to care for their bodies, minds and spirits, nurses risk suffering consequences like professional burnout and compassion fatigue.
Nurses deserve health and quality of life as much as their patients, and if they don’t take the time to care for their wellness, they may find it challenging to provide excellent care to patients or support their healthcare team.
Self-care in nursing is so important that the American Nurses Association (ANA) has integrated it directly into the Nursing Code of Ethics. Provision 5 of the code is introduced with the following text:
"The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to promote health and safety, preserve wholeness of character and integrity, maintain competence, and continue personal and professional growth."
Nurses must exercise the same level of care for their health and safety as they expect from patients. The code advises nurses to practice the health promotion measures they advise their patients to follow.
Understanding Burnout in Nursing
When considering nurses and self-care, it’s important to acknowledge self-care's role in preventing, mitigating and treating burnout. Burnout is a phenomenon that can affect any profession, but it is particularly common and devastating in those that involve providing care to others, such as nursing.
Burnout is defined as physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, yet it goes beyond fatigue and typically includes symptoms such as:
- Decreased motivation
- Negative attitudes toward work
- Poor perception of self
- Reduced performance at work
- Apathy
A nurse suffering from burnout may start to dread going to work. They might experience anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as physical symptoms, such as reduced sleep and appetite.
Burnout can occur when nurses are subjected to significant amounts of stress over a long period. Certain factors can further increase the risk of burnout, including:
- Lack of work/life balance
- Long hours and overnight shifts
- Shortage of sufficient staff to handle responsibilities
- Negative workplace culture/lack of support
Since burnout is common among nurses, it’s ideal to practice daily nursing self-care strategies to reduce the risk and better cope with stress.
Is nursing worth it? Consider these top reasons why it can be.
Nursing Self-Care Strategies
Now that you know the importance of self-care in nursing, how can you adopt wellness practices in your own life? It’s essential not to overcompensate. Self-care should revitalize and rejuvenate you, not add stress by overbooking your schedule with self-care activities.
Instead, take baby steps toward wellness by developing one new habit each month or two.
Physical Health Self-Care Strategies
Nurses typically spend significant time on patient education, which means they likely have ample experience educating patients about the importance of good nutrition and exercise. But how well do you follow your own advice? Busy nurses often struggle to find the time to cook balanced meals and work out regularly, but doing so is critical to your physical and mental health.
Try these nursing self-care strategies for better physical health:
- Preventive Health: Take time off as needed to undergo preventive health screenings and ask your doctor about any health issues you’ve noticed. Keep your vaccines up to date.
- Nutrition: On your days off, try to batch cook or prep nutritious meals in advance. Additionally, you can prepare in advance for hectic days by collecting menus from restaurants in town that prioritize clean, plant-based ingredients.
- Fitness: On your busiest days, fit in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions, which take little time yet effectively raise your heart rate. Enjoy longer workout sessions on your days off.
- Sleep: Sleep is absolutely essential for both physical and mental health. Practice good sleep hygiene and maintain a consistent sleep/wake schedule.
Emotional and Mental Wellness Strategies
Your mental and emotional health is just as important as your physical health. In fact, the same steps that improve your physical health can also support good mental health (e.g., sleep, nutrition and exercise).
In addition, consider adding the following nursing self-care strategies to your routine:
- Connect: Humans are social creatures. It’s important to make time to connect with friends and family.
- Get Outdoors: Studies show that spending time outdoors regularly supports wellness.
- Enjoy: Take a step back now and then to do an activity you truly enjoy without worrying about being unproductive.
- Stimulate Your Brain: Nurses are lifelong learners. Devote yourself to refining your skillset and expanding your knowledge in your specialty area. Doing so may help reignite your passion for nursing, even when stressed.
- Seek Counseling: People often seek counseling when they feel overwhelmed and can’t see a way out, but it’s best to seek counseling before you reach that point. A counselor can help you learn coping techniques for stress.
The Role of Nursing Education in Promoting Self-Care
Proper self-care for nurses starts in nursing school. If you aren’t yet a nurse but would like to be, consider looking for a school that supports your well-being — body, mind and soul. At Averett University, our ABSN students can graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in as few as 16 months. Because of the fast pace, strong self-care strategies will help you meet the challenges as you earn your degree.
Here, you’ll find a program and learning environment that supports your holistic wellness. Our instructors will teach you how to perform health assessments and work toward favorable patient outcomes, but you’ll also have opportunities to learn and use good self-care practices, such as balancing school and life.
Online learning in nursing school can help make it easier to strike a healthy school/life balance. Learn more here.
Prepare for a Sustainable Career in Nursing at Averett
At Averett University, we support our nursing students and encourage them to develop sustainable self-care habits that contribute to a meaningful and enjoyable career in nursing. Averett instructors strive to cultivate a positive school environment that allows all to thrive while emphasizing our core values of integrity, innovation, engagement and diversity.
Contact our friendly admissions advisors today to learn more about our accelerated nursing degree program and determine if Averett is a good fit for you.