Many of us are running on empty and on autopilot, neglecting our health. We are challenged by severe time constraints and great expectations to do more with less, resulting in strained tolerances, shortened and divided attention spans, and sudden injury, illness, or crisis that halt us in our tracks. THERE IS A BETTER WAY. Effective self-care is about recognizing our values, beliefs, influences, perspectives, and motivations that drive our behaviors and shape our outcomes. This book highlights the challenges faced in our healthcare system and offers insights and resources to support living a healthier and happier life. It is a guide for healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, and organizations. It proposes that we explore how we define, manage, deliver, experience, and MODEL care. It calls for a paradigm shift to a more engaged, transparent, and collaborative model that has an emphasis on self-care.

Self-care interventions are among the most promising and exciting new approaches to improve health and well-being, both from a health systems perspective and for people who use these interventions. The World Health Organization (WHO) uses the following working definition of self-care: Self-care is the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker. The scope of self-care as described in this definition includes health promotion; disease prevention and control; self-medication; providing care to dependent persons; seeking hospital/specialist/primary care if necessary; and rehabilitation, including palliative care. It includes a range of self-care modes and approaches. While this is a broad definition that includes many activities, it is important for health policy to recognize the importance of self-care, especially where it intersects with health systems and health professionals. Worldwide, an estimated shortage of 18 million health workers is anticipated by 2030, a record 130 million people are currently in need of humanitarian assistance, and disease outbreaks are a constant global threat. At least 400 million people worldwide lack access to the most essential health services, and every year 100 million people are plunged into poverty because they have to pay for health care out of their own pockets. There is an urgent need to find innovative strategies that go beyond the conventional health sector response. While "self-care" is not a new term or concept, self-care interventions have the potential to increase choice, when they are accessible and affordable, and they can also provide more opportunities for individuals to make informed decisions regarding their health and health care. In humanitarian settings, for example, due to lack of or limited health infrastructure and medical services in the crisis-affected areas, self-care could play an important role to improve health-related outcomes. Self-care also builds upon existing movements, such as task sharing, which are powerful strategies to support health systems.

"I yelled at the kids again--and feel so ashamed." "I barely have time to shower, let alone exercise; no wonder I’m so out of shape." "I'm just not the dad I hoped I would be." Parenting is hard. That's why self-compassion is so important. In this empathic resource, mindfulness expert and psychologist Susan M. Pollak helps you let go of constant self-judgment and treat yourself with the same kindness and caring you strive to offer your kids. Simple yet powerful guided meditation techniques (most under three minutes long) are easy to practice while doing the dishes, driving to work, or soothing a fussy baby. Learn to respond to your own imperfections like a supportive friend, not a harsh critic. You will find yourself happier and more energized--and will discover new reserves of patience and appreciation for your kids.

You have a choice. There is a path out of pain, anxiety, burnout, and the feeling of complete overwhelm. This book is your invitation to choose that path. “Patel shares how to tap into subtle energy shifts through simple yet powerful practices that you can do on yourself.”—Goop When Kelsey Patel was struck by searing back pain in her twenties while working on Capitol Hill, she had no idea that repressed emotions could manifest as debilitating anxiety and physical pain. What healed her was empowering herself to choose how she lived her life. In Burning Bright, her first book, Kelsey shares the self-care techniques that helped get her body, health, and emotions back into alignment: Reiki, emotional freedom technique, meditation, yoga, and more. Now a spiritual coach, Reiki master, and wellness expert, Kelsey has helped thousands struggling with burnout and anxiety. This book is filled with stories, hard-won wisdom, profound empathy, and the secrets to reexamining thoughts and breaking negative patterns. You will learn how to: • practice Reiki on yourself, without a master; • interrupt anxiety cycles with tapping, breathwork, and journaling; • perform simple rituals that can boring you peace in any situation; • ground yourself and get back into your physical body; • release emotional and physical blocks so that your energy can flow freely; • establish a solid foundation of self-worth and self-care. As you use these techniques to align with your priorities, you’ll watch your authentic life unfold—a life of harmony, fulfillment, purpose, and joy. Burnout makes you feel like there is always more, more, more to do, but the truth is, you are enough right now without any more doing. Learn how to feel this truth because it’s time for you to start burning bright.

Practicing nurse and New York Times columnist Theresa Brown invites us to experience not just a day in the life of a nurse but all the life that happens in just one day on a busy teaching hospital’s cancer ward. In the span of twelve hours, lives can be lost, life-altering treatment decisions made, and dreams fulfilled or irrevocably stolen. Unfolding in real time--under the watchful eyes of this dedicated professional and insightful chronicler of events--The Shift gives an unprecedented view into the individual struggles as well as the larger truths about medicine in this country. By shift’s end, we have witnessed something profound about hope and humanity.

Rev. ed. of: Nursing: human science and human care / Jean Watson. c1999.

Self-care is critical for effective and ethical counseling practice and this inspirational book offers diverse, realistic perspectives on how to achieve work–life balance and personal wellness from graduate school through retirement. In addition to the authors’ unique perspectives as professionals at different stages of their careers, guest contributors—ranging from graduate students, to new professionals, to seasoned counselors—share their experiences and thoughts about self-care, including what challenges them most. Both personal and conversational in tone, this book will help you to create your own practical self-care action plan through reflection on important issues, such as managing stress, establishing personal and professional boundaries, enhancing relationships, and finding meaning in life. "Counselors face the obstacle of remembering to care for themselves while focusing on caring for others. In Counselor Self-Care, Drs. Gerald Corey, Michelle Muratori, Jude Austin, and Julius Austin lead 52 contributing authors in a book rich with living events and defining moments. Multiple stressors are described and met with multiple solutions. There is so much great content here that can be embraced by those who do the noble work of being present for others." —Tom Skovholt, PhD, LP, Professor, University of Minnesota; Author of The Resilient Practitioner: Burnout and Compassion Fatigue Prevention and Self-Care Strategies for the Helping Professions, 3rd Edition "Self-care is often discussed in counselor training and supervision, but not in its full scope. Counselor Self-Care provides breadth and depth by addressing the many facets of self-care. The authors combine personal narratives and anecdotes from experienced mental health professionals with self-assessment questions and self-care improvement strategies. The level of vulnerability and insight from the authors, and those who share their stories, is informative and rare to find. Assign this book as reading for yourself, your students, and your supervisees to motivate nurturing of the self." —Philip Clarke, PhD, Associate Professor, Wake Forest University *Requests for digital versions from ACA can be found on www.wiley.com *To request print copies, please visit the ACA https://imis.counseling.org/store/detail *Reproduction requests for material from books published by ACA should be directed to [email protected]

"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/

Confidently adapt your nursing education program to the cutting-edge caring method with the experienced insight of the Chamberlain University College of Nursing. From effective faculty development to proven patient satisfaction strategies, this case-based monograph outlines your path to better patient-focused outcomes and institutional excellence. Apply the experienced insight of the Chamberlain University College of Nursing to: Avoid common pitfalls in adapting your program Create a caring environment for faculty and students Recognize and develop faculty Build a path to better patient outcomes