Self-care is the “daily process of being aware of and attending to one’s basic physiological and emotional needs” and the foundation for physical and emotional wellness to prevent mental health, occupational, or educational burnout. Self-care includes strategies for having healthy relationships, physical environments, and optimal quality of life (see Cook-Cottone, 2018). Self-Care also includes engaging in self-compassion, self-awareness, and self-reflection to identify practices that promote happiness, optimal quality of life, and health including, but not limited to, the following categories: emotional, intellectual, physical, social, environmental, financial, and physical health.
Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation American Nurses Association initiative connecting nurses with self-care resources
Mindful Self-Care Scale A validated and standardized tool for assessing the variety and frequency of self-care strategies developed by Dr. Catherine Cook-Cottone.
A Look at the Self-Care Wheel: Templates, Worksheets and Activities Article by Dr. Jeremy Sutton on PositivePsychology.com
Blum, C. (September 30, 2014). Practicing self-care for nurses: a nursing program initiative. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, Vol. 19, No. 3, Manuscript 3.
Fonrtaine, DK, Cunningham, T, May, N. (2021) Self-Care for New and Student Nurses. Indianapolis, IN: Sigma Theta Tau