Empowering Nursing Students: Integrating Self-Care Techniques into the Curriculum
Overview
The Self Care for New and Student Nurses text and workbook was developed to provide the learner with ways to incorporate self-care practices into a daily routine, enhance resilience, improve the ability to cope with challenges, and sustain a passion for nursing throughout their careers. Moreover, this resource helps students and new nurses understand that self-care empowers them to become role models for their patients and colleagues, inspiring a culture of wellness within the healthcare environment.
The student workbook and instructor’s guide can be downloaded free of charge from the Sigma Nursing Repository:
How to Use
Self Care for New and Student Nurses can be used in three different ways. The entire resource can be integrated into a didactic course, or the resource can be utilized to create a stand-alone self-care elective course. Another option is for faculty to use excerpts from the resource that align with a specific course curriculum. The chosen content can be dispersed among several different courses as appropriate for the students’ level. The resource provides a textbook, a student workbook and an instructor’s guide. The instructor’s guide can be used alone for class preparation as it parallels the activities found in the student workbook and provides numerous classroom activities and assignments.
The resource is divided into five sections:
- Fundamentals
- The Mind of a Nurse
- The Body and Spirit of a Nurse
- The Transition to Nursing Practice
- The Heart of a Nurse
Each section provides invaluable information for faculty to deliver the material in creative ways that hold the students accountable to practicing self-care behaviors.
Integrative Learning Strategies
- Didactic Learning
- Small Group Discussions
- In-Class Activities (i.e., vision boards, practicing skills that make up the Community Resilience Model, positivity portfolios, etc.)
- Storytelling
- Reflective Journaling
- Research Paper
Assessment Strategies
For faculty evaluation and evidence of reflection, please download the following resources:
- Word Docs: Reflective Journal Assignment and Rubric
- Word Docs: Self-care Research Paper and Rubric
Exemplars
N/A
Appropriate Courses:
- Leadership
- Professionalism
- Fundamentals
- Senior level end of program courses (i.e., Seminar, Capstone, Synthesis)
Additional Resources/Publications
Self-Care for New and Student Nurses Textbook Link ($59.95)
https://www.sigmamarketplace.org/self-care-for-new-and-student-nurses
Gould, Kathleen Ahern PhD, RN. Self-Care for New and Student Nurses Companion Instructor's Guide and Workbook. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing 41(6): p 357-359, 11/12 2022. | DOI: 10.1097/DCC.0000000000000555
Sub-competencies for entry-level professional nursing education:
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10.1 Demonstrate a commitment to personal health and well-being.
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10.1a Demonstrates a commitment to personal health and well-being.
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10.1b Manage conflict between personal and professional responsibilities.
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10.2 Demonstrate a spirit of inquiry that fosters flexibility and professional maturity.
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10.2a Engage in guided and spontaneous reflection of one’s practice.
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10.2b Integrate comprehensive feedback to improve performance.
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10.2e Commit to personal and professional development
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Posted: November 17, 2023
Submitted by:
Candon Garbo, DNP, RN, Associate Professor, Regis University Loretta Heights School of Nursing
Katie Fabian, MPH, Instructor, University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing
Debi Fatherree, DNP, RN-CNE, Assistant Professor, University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing