National Nurses Day – Why Self-care in Nursing is Important

Saturday, May 6, 2017, is National Nurses Day! It’s a day to show support for the roughly 3.2 million nurses around the country who provide a critical, yet difficult, job caring for millions of Americans. This day is an opportunity to not only spread awareness of the job, but to also show our appreciation. May 6 is the first day of National Nurses Week which goes until May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, a celebrated English social reformer and the founder of modern nursing.

The theme for this year’s National Nurses Week is “Nursing: the Balance of Mind, Body, and Spirit” which seeks to encourage nurses to practice self-care, so they can better provide care to others.

As attorneys who represent victims of nursing home abuse and neglect, we at Hupy and Abraham understand that when it comes to preventing abuse or neglect, staffing is one of the biggest factors. Adequate numbers of nursing staff improve overall morale and productivity, and can even reduce the high number of on-the-job injuries in nursing homes and other similar facilities. When nursing staff are not properly paid, trained or cared for themselves, the care in these facilities can suffer.

Why Self-care?

Health care is getting more complex, and nurses must prioritize their own physical and personal well-being. Achieving their well-being will enable nurses to handle the demands of the profession and provide the best possible care to nursing home residents.

Here are some self-care tips for those working in the nursing profession:

1. Take a break, always. Nurses frequently suffer from severe stress and burnout.
2. Follow the 1:1:1 Rule. One thing a day. One thing a week. One thing a month. Plan out self-care rituals for a month and look at all the time you've made yourself a priority.
3. Pay attention to your health.
4. Invest in yourself.
5. Pat yourself on the back for your accomplishments.

Until we are sick, or have loved ones in a nursing home, it’s easy to take for granted the work nurses do. All of us at Hupy and Abraham would like to thank all the nurses out there for their work and let them know they are appreciated. Happy National Nurses Week!