self-careacademy.com

Impaired Nursing Habitat

Kim Richards — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:31:46 +0000

by Lu Ann Wahl, RN, BC-HN I arrived to work 15 minutes ahead of clock-in to recon my PRN mission. Friday night; there would be shift change incoming. Self-prepped with “before shift” prayer, meditation (with intent, to keep a calm environment and efficiently attend workload so I could, take a full lunch break), by ambush, I …

Fat, Over Fifty, Frumpy and Fried

Kim Richards — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:50:10 +0000

Remember the old saying that laughter is the best medicine? (Norman Cousins) Well, here’s how one nurse’s flames of burnout, cultivated “fresh growth” seeded by the support and exploration within study and practices from her enrollment in the Integrative Nurse Coach Certificate Program. Within her intention of a visionary book project ignited by her benefits …

What does your energy say about you?

Kim Richards — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 16:32:40 +0000

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist – a scientist who specializes in how the brain works. In 1996, Jill suffered a massive stroke when a blood vessel burst in the left hemisphere of her brain. She was rushed to the emergency room and treated, but it took a full eight years for Jill …

What have you said “no” to today without feeling guilty?

Kim Richards — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:37:58 +0000

Sometimes our fear of conflict and “letting others down” keep us from saying “no”, so we continue to take on more than we can handle. The practice of self-care requires that we sometimes disappoint people. The reality is that they’ll get over it and we will will have been successful at protecting our limits. When we overgive, we …

Forever Gifts

Kim Richards — Sun, 08 May 2011 10:00:18 +0000

My maternal grandmother was 98 years old when she peacefully passed away in her sleep. Other than osteoarthritis, she had no life limiting disease. She had outlived all her family and friends and as a devout Christian, she was fearless of her inevitable transition. Fling open the gates, she was ready! With only a 4th …

Self-Care From Florence Nightingale

Kim Richards — Sat, 07 May 2011 02:34:33 +0000

Ouiet in our own rooms (and a room of your own is specially for each one here) — we have bustle every day — a few minutes of calm… how indispensible it is, in this ever increasing hurry of life! When we live ‘so fast’ do we not require a breathing time, a moment or …

Really?? Lunch at your desk everyday??

Kim Richards — Sun, 01 May 2011 01:42:49 +0000

I asked that question to a room of about 40 people…more than half said, “Yes, I have lunch at mydesk everyday.” By the end of our workshop, 15 had committed to break that habit AND to hold each other accountable. One manager admitted that he had taught his staff when they could catch him…at his …

Have a “walking meeting!”

Kim Richards — Sun, 01 May 2011 01:32:18 +0000

I love learing new ways that people can practice self-care while at work! Last week, at a Self-Care Academy workshop, one manager said he was going to start having “walking meetings”. He committed to ”talk and walk” around the hospital or to find a private outside area where he could start to create a culture of …

Lessons on Resiliency

Kim Richards — Sun, 01 May 2011 01:19:58 +0000

I was asked last week to do a workshop on resiliency and how it relates to self-care. In the small group discussions, a new manager said, “How do I get it?” (meaning resiliency, as if to write down a recipe) Another more seasoned person said, “You don’t just get it. It has to be cultivated …

Steps for Life

Kim Richards — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:10:55 +0000

I wanted to share a story with you about Terri O’Brien from Catholic Health Initiates and her colleagues. After attending a self-care workshop, she and her colleagues were inspired to support each other in their self-care journeys by creating a simple tracking chart and holding each other accountable. Every day, they each have to run or …