PERT Program

Tip of the Month: May 2003


Self Care for Nursing Home Staff


In the April Tip of the Month, we listed suggestions for creating and maintaining a healthy team. This month, we want to remind you that a healthy team is made up of healthy individuals. Before you can contribute in a meaningful way to the team or to your residents, you must first be able to take care of yourself.

The current health-care environment, particularly in long-term care, is one of chronic stress. At the same time, you, as a long-term care provider, have the tremendous privilege of accompanying residents and their families through the final stages of life. The joys that accompany the day-in, day-out care of residents are many. For example, you are able to celebrate with a resident the achievement of a hard earned goal, meet their long-anticipated great-grandchild, and share their reminiscences. You also provide comfort to family members at the death of their loved one. These are the gifts available only to those of you committed to this type of caring.

It is challenging to find a balance between experiences of joy and those of frustration in the workplace. Developing good self-care skills will allow you to move toward balance while remaining enthusiastic and committed to your job.

You are invited to explore some of those skills by reading the humorous "voices" in the following table. Which voice speaks most clearly to you?



The Great Debate:
Listening to the Voice of Self-Care Wisdom vs. Listening to the Voice of Work


The Voice of Self-Care Wisdom
The Voice of Work
"Stop denying yourself. Listen to the wisdom of your body. Be aware of the stresses and pressures that affect you physically, mentally, and emotionally." "Work until the physical pain causes you to collapse."
"Avoid isolation. Don't try to do everything alone. Develop your relationship with your team members. Learn to count on others." "Do it yourself. You don't need help. Park yourself at the nurses' station. All those other people are just trying to distract you from catching up on your paperwork. Besides, you're the only who does it right."
"Decrease intensity in your life. Identify those areas that create stress and work toward reducing those difficulties." "Increase intensity! Work harder. The harder you work the more people you help. If you are relaxed enough to enjoy your job, you're not getting enough done."
"Stop over-nurturing. Learn to gracefully remove yourself from taking on other people's problems and responsibilities. Seek ways to nurture yourself." "Try to do everything for everyone. You exist to solve other people's problems. You, and you alone, are responsible for fixing it. Perhaps you haven't thoroughly read your job description."
"Learn to say NO. Speak up for yourself. This means refusing to accept unreasonable demands on your time or emotions." "Never say no to anything. It's a sign of weakness and makes you look like you can't carry your weight. Never put off until tomorrow something that can be done by working two hours of overtime today."
"Reflect on your values. Sort out the meaningful values from those that are temporary. You'll conserve energy and time, and feel more centered." "Stop thinking about your own problems. It's not only selfish but a waste of time. If your values need to be changed, there will be a memo to that effect. In the meantime, if you are having trouble figuring out your priorities, please contact an Administrator."
"Learn to pace yourself. You only have so much energy. Decide what you want and need in your life, and then seek to balance work, pleasure and relaxation." "A balanced life is a myth perpetuated by self-help experts who are trying to earn a living. Don't be silly. Work is where the true rewards are found."
"Take care of your body. Eat well. Get enough sleep. Exercise regularly. Keep your medical appointments." "Yeah, right. Remember that your body serves your mind; your mind serves your boss, your co-workers and your residents. Push the mind and the body will follow. Drink more Mountain Dew."
"Decrease worry and anxiety. Worry changes nothing; keep it to the bare minimum. You will be more productive if you spend less time worrying and more time taking care of yourself." "If you're not worrying about work, you must not be very committed to it. We can probably find someone who is."
"Keep your sense of humor. Bring joy and happy moments into your life. Share them with your co-workers. Very few people suffer burnout when they're having fun!" "So, you think work is funny? You can discuss this with your manager at a special meeting on Friday at 6pm. Be there!"


Adapted from Massachusetts Institute of Technology web site at
http://web.mit.edu/afs/athena.mit.edu/user/w/c/wchuang/News/college/MIT-views.html

Acknowledgment also to Kraybill, K. Outreach To People Experiencing Homelessness: A Curriculum for Training Healthcare for the Homeless Outreach Workers, 2002. Module 2B. http://www.nhchc.org/Curriculum/index.htm